Nicola Sturgeon has admitted she had “an awareness of a concern” about SNP chief whip Patrick Grady before a formal complaint of sexual harassment was made against the SNP MP.
The First Minister confirmed that she knew about concerns that were revealed in the Daily Record last week but added that she was constricted in what she could say.
Answering questions at her daily press briefing, Sturgeon said: "A formal investigation under way we have for the first time had a formal complaint. I would have had an awareness previously of a concern but I am not going to say more than that because due process requires an investigation takes its course.”
The Glasgow North MP stood aside as chief whip at Westminster last week when a complaint of sexual harassment was lodged with the party after revelations in the Daily Record.
A young SNP staffer alleged how Grady had inappropriately touched him in a London pub in 2016. Another complaint of sexual harassment by a female MP was strenuously denied by her.
At the weekend reports suggested that former First Minster Alex Salmond is believed to have warned Sturgeon about sexual harassment allegations against Grady three years ago.
Sturgeon gave no hint of where and when she first heard of the allegations but signalled that they were currency before the formal complaint was lodged.
The staffer alleges that he had raised his complaint in 2017 but had been called to a meeting in Westminster leader Ian Blackford’s office where, he claimed, a tearful Grady issued an apology.
An SNP spokesperson said: “In February 2018 an issue was highlighted by a third party to the Westminster group. As a result, an individual was contacted but they did not wish to raise any complaint.
"Accordingly the matter was dealt with informally and was understood to have been concluded to everyone’s satisfaction at that time. The SNP National Secretary has now had a formal complaint notified to him and will investigate accordingly.”
Earlier on Monday John Swinney, the Deputy First Minister, said that he found out about the claims surrounding Patrick Grady last week when the Daily Record broke the story.
