Scotland’s most senior civil servant who was at the heart of the botched investigation into sexual harassment complaints against Alex Salmond is set to quit.
Leslie Evans, the Permanent Secretary to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, faced massive pressure to go following the fiasco.
She was in charge of the complaints process against Salmond which he successfully challenged in the Court of Session as unlawful, unfair and tainted by apparent bias.
The former First Minister was awarded £512,250 in costs in a judicial review of the Scottish Government's complaints process and subsequently cleared of 13 sexual assault charges in a dramatic criminal trial last year.
Evans’s handling of the process was severely criticised in a Holyrood inquiry where it emerged that a series of catastrophic mistakes was made by senior officials in the inquiry and the court case.
The Holyrood committee into the handling of the complaints against Salmond found there was an “individual failing” by Evans because she knew of the prior contact between the officer investigating the claims and the female civil servants who made them.
In March Salmond threatened to take legal action against Evans but no case has emerged.
Evan’s contract was extended to cover the criminal trial was due to expire next March but she will be replaced by Christmas in order for a handover period.
A Scottish government spokesman said. “In line with normal timescales, recruitment to appoint the new permanent secretary to the Scottish government will commence shortly with interviews expected to take place in early autumn and a successful candidate announced in due course,”
Nicola Sturgeon will make the final decision on who will fill the position in consultation with Simon Case, the head of the UK civil service.
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader who was a member of the committee investigating the Salmond affair, said Evans’ early departure was a sign that Sturgeon had seriously mishandled the situation.
Baillie said: “The departure of such a senior figure shows that the Scottish government admit their handling of the Salmond fiasco was not fit for purpose. The first minister has shown a serious failure of judgment in not asking Evans to consider her position.”
