Salmond’s accusers ‘scared of retribution’

Women’s claims passed to Crown ‘against their wishes’

COMPLAINTS about Alex Salmond were passed to prosecutors ‘ against the wishes’ of the women involved, it has emerged.

Scotland’s top civil servant yesterday told MSPs that the Scottish Government referred the complaints to the Crown Office despite the women opposing the move amid fears they would face ‘retribution’.

Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans also defended her decision to continue to fight the court battle with Mr Salmond despite concerns that the Scottish Government was heading for an expensive defeat. She claimed, too, that the Government did everything it could to keep details of the allegations confidential, despite Mr Salmond claiming that Nicola Sturgeon’s chief-of-staff told one of his former advisers the name of one of the complainers.

Opposition politicians said the ‘extraordinary’ evidence shows the Scottish Government’s handling of the complaints has ‘patently failed’ the two women involved.

Making her third appearance at the Holyrood inquiry into how complaints about Mr Salmond were handled, Mrs Evans said: ‘It was against the wishes of the complainers, I understand that. The decision I took to refer the matter to the Crown Office was consistent with the [complaints] procedure. It was decided that we had to balance the legal advice... given to me as the person who was going to take this decision, and the careful consideration of the views of the complainers.

‘This was very carefully weighed up by me. I was particularly concerned, and took some time, to find out if we could possibly allay some of the complainers’ concerns about a potential referral to the police. But of course I had to also bear in mind the potential criminality, and the advice I was being given on this.’

A police probe was launched after the Government referred the complaints to prosecutors following its own investigation. Mr Salmond was cleared of all charges following a criminal trial. He was awarded more than £500,000 in costs after a judicial review found the handling of complaints against him was unlawful and tainted with apparent bias.

On the concerns of the women, Mrs Evans said: ‘I know that they feared some backlash, criticism and retribution from some quarters in the public, but also from some individuals. So it was not something that I took lightly by any means.’

She said the complaints procedure states that the Scottish Government may decide to refer complaints ‘even if the complainer does not want it’.

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said: ‘It is extraordinary to hear Leslie Evans defend the Scottish Government’s handling of harassment complaints.

‘It has patently failed the women at the centre of these complaints.’

‘I know they feared some backlash’