MSPs are considering quitting the Alex Salmond Inquiry after the body refused to publish key evidence, it has been reported.
The claim comes amid growing speculation Salmond may snub an appearance at the Holyrood committee on Tuesday by staging his own press conference.
The Committee is trying to get to the bottom of the Government’s botched handling of sexual misconduct complaints against the former first minister.
Salmond took the Government to court in 2018 and it was accepted the internal probe had been unlawful.
Not only did the fiasco saddle the public purse with a bill of over £500,000, but it ended the friendship between Nicola Sturgeon and Salmond, whose allies believe he was targeted by Government and SNP figures.
However, although the Holyrood Inquiry was supposed to shed light on the scandal, it has been marred by rows over the failure to obtain and publish key documents.
A key area for investigation centres on the meetings Salmond and Sturgeon held during the misconduct probe in 2018, and what was discussed at the summits.
In a bombshell submission to Holyrood, Salmond accused his predecessor of misleading parliament and breaching the ministerial code of conduct.
Sturgeon denied the claims and accused Salmond of peddling conspiracy theories.
As revealed by the Daily Record, the Holyrood Inquiry has decided not to publish the Salmond submission - despite it being widely reported in the media.
The move infuriated Salmond, who described the decision as “farcical”.
According to the Sunday Post, at least one MSP on the Inquiry is considering resigning from the committee.
The bitter stand off comes at a key moment for the Committee.
Salmond is scheduled to give oral evidence on Tuesday, followed by Sturgeon the next week.
The testimony of both Nationalist heavyweights is believed to be critical if the Inquiry is to produce a credible report.
Sources believe Salmond will only appear in front of MSPs if his submission is published, failing which he would stage a press conference ahead of Sturgeon’s appearance before the Committee.
Salmond is expected to be writing to the Committee soon.
MSPs have also been frustrated that the Government's legal advice in relation to the Salmond judicial review has not been published.
