Focus on ‘unlawful’ material
ALEX Salmond’s lawyer has said his client believes the Scottish Government is trying to hand over “unlawful” material to the Holyrood inquiry.
David McKie added it appeared to the former first minister that the Government has a desire to “malign” his reputation.
He also complained about Salmond being included in an accusation of obstruction by inquiry convener Linda Fabiani.
MSPs are investigating the SNP Government’s botched handling of sexual misconduct allegations against Salmond when he was first minister.
Salmond challenged the internal Government probe in court and it was ruled the investigation had been unlawful.
A key part of the Holyrood committee’s inquiry is on Salmond’s judicial review and how the Government prepared for it.
However, the committee has been unable to access all the information it wants and has contacted the court directly.
In a letter to Fabiani, McKie said Salmond “welcomes the endeavours of the committee” to recover documents.
He said Salmond had “consistently supported transparency”.
But McKie added it appeared to Salmond that the Scottish Government was “seeking to produce material which has been reduced as unlawful by court order and is the subject of undertakings given to the Court of Session”.
McKie continued: “The only possible explanation for seeking to take such a step appears to our client to be a desire unjustifiably to malign his reputation, rather than account for their own unlawful actions.”