Former First Minister Alex Salmond has been criticised by the Holyrood Inquiry for sending unredacted documents directly to Committee members.
The Inquiry noted the former First Minister had on occasion not followed a procedure that was in place to ensure that material was not released which inadvertently revealed any of Salmond’s accusers.
Set up in 2019, the Committee has been investigating the SNP Government’s mis-handling of sexual misconduct complaints against Salmond when he was First Minister.
Salmond pursued a judicial review and it was agreed the Government probe, which destroyed his friendship with Sturgeon, had been unlawful and tainted by apparent bias. It also cost the taxpayer over £600,000.
The MSP-led committee has investigated all aspects of the fiasco, including the development of the procedure used to probe Salmond, how the complaints were handled, the judicial review, and whether the ministerial code of conduct was followed.
The Committee’s 192 page report was published this morning and it contained critical findings on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and top civil servant Leslie Evans.
However, it also criticised Salmond for the way he dealt with the Committee. MSPs concluded: “While the Committee recognises the complexities involved in this process, it is frustrated that the former First Minister, in common with the Scottish Government, repeatedly missed deadlines set for the submission of evidence. As set out above, the Committee repeatedly wrote to the former First Minister and his initial submission was received four months after the original deadline was set.
“Additionally, the actions of both the Scottish Government and the former First Minister have given the appearance that only information and documentation that would advance a particular position has been willingly given, leaving the Committee to repeatedly ask for the information it was in fact seeking.”
The report also flagged up concerns about Salmond sending material to MSPs: "Despite saying that he had “upheld at every stage in this process” the anonymity of complainers, Mr Salmond, through his solicitors (Levy & McRae), on multiple occasions sent documents directly to Committee Members rather than using the Committee’s document-handling procedure to ensure that no material which may inadvertently reveal the identity of a complainer is released.
“This resulted in unredacted documents being sent to Members. Given the focus that the Committee has had on confidentiality, this is a very serious situation.”
Salmond has been contacted.
