On 11 May 2016, major companies, including Sir Robert McAlpine, issued an "unreserved and sincere" apology in the high court to hundreds of workers for putting them on the illegal blacklist and denying them work over two decades. The companies agreed to pay sums ranging from £25,000 to £200,000 to 771 people under out-of-court settlements to avoid a trial, while accepting that "their secret vetting operation should never have happened". However, evidence disclosed before the settlement led many of the victims to claim that there was an illegal attempt by McAlpine executives to destroy evidence and cover up the involvement of key individuals when the blacklisting was discovered in 2009. The targets of the victims' intended criminal complaint included director Cullum McAlpine, and head of human resources, David Cochrane, who was a later chairman of the Association. Both denied involvement in destroying any relevant files and attempting to pervert the course of justice.