Former First Minister alleges ‘malicious plan’
ALEX SALMOND has said a number of people should resign for their part in the Scottish Government’s unlawful handling of complaints against him.
The former first minister said the Lord Advocate, James Wolffe, and Leslie Evans, the Scottish Government civil service Permanent Secretary should “consider their position”.
However, when asked if Nicola Sturgeon should resign as First Minister, if found to have breached the Ministerial code, he said that was “not for him”.
A number of senior SNP officials were named, who he said there was evidence in the public domain for interfering with a police investigation into the allegations after it has started.
Those named were Peter Murrell, the SNP Chief Executive, Susan Riddick SNP chief operating officer, Iain McCann compliance officer and Liz Lloyd, Nicola Sturgeon’s chief of staff.
Mr Salmond said there was evidence of them being involved in a “malicious plan” “to damage his reputation”.
He said their motivation was to have the judicial review into the government investigation postponed as it would be “catastrophic for the Scottish Government and for Nicola Sturgeon herself”.
He added: “People came to the view that the police process would mean the judicial review would be swept away in a criminal trail was convicted that would have been the case.”
When asked if he believed the First Minister played a part in that, he said he has only made statements that he has documentary evidence to support.
In opening remarks, he said: “It was the Scottish Government who was found to have acted unlawfully.”
“The Crown Office has not failed, its leadership has failed. The civil service has not failed, its leadership has. Scotland has not failed, its leadership has.
“There has been not a single resignation or sacking, instead promotions and extensions of contracts. The government acted illegally but somehow nobody is to blame.”
The former First Minister, who was acquitted of 12 charges of sexual offences last March gave his account of meetings that took place in the Scottish Parliament and at the home of Ms Sturgeon in March and April 2018.
He said they were pre-arranged meetings, one on March 29 between his former chief of staff Geoff Aberdein and the First Minister.
At that meeting he said it was arranged there would be a meeting at the Glasgow home of Ms Sturgeon and Peter Murrell on April 2.
He disputed claims they were “impromptu” and “just popping in”.
Mr Salmond said: “I’ve been in Nicola and Peter’s home six times in my life. It’s not a question of just popping in. Even when our relationship was good, with the First Minister I didn’t just pop in. I stayed in Aberdeenshire, she says in Glasgow it 200 miles away.”
“The 29th of March was not impromptu it was not accidental. The 2nd April was arranged.
He said the meeting on April was government business, not SNP party business and Nicola Sturgeon should have reported it to the Permanent Secretary.
Mr Salmond denied it was about the possibility of him resigning from the SNP but to seek the First Minister’s intervention to allow mediation between Mr Salmond and complainers.
He said: “The failure to report it to the permanent secretary is a breach of the ministerial code.”
Ms Sturgeon is due to appear at the committee on Wednesday.