100% Scott Evil.
The PCs aren't the only heros around, ya know. Anyone worth being called Evil Villain has already dispatched many parties more (and less) powerful than the PCs.
On the other hand, the underlings are inept, brutal and lazy -- the sort you'd expect to end up working for a corrupt organization or being. They could easily do stupid things which don't get their own hands dirty.
-- Nifft, who knows that good help is so hard to find