Former first minister Alex Salmond to receive more than £500,000 pay-out for legal costs.

INQUIRY: Lord Pentland rules that SNP Government’s actions were ‘unfair’

The “botched” investigation into complaints of sexual harassment against Alex Salmond cost the Scottish Government more than £500,000.

Mr Salmond quit the SNP and challenged Holyrood at the Court of Session in Edinburgh following allegations levelled against him which he strenuously denied.

He launched a legal action – alongside a crowdfunder appeal which saw people hand him £100,000 – last August.

Mr Salmond said he will distribute the remainder of the crowdfunder to “good causes”.

Lord Pentland said the government’s actions had been “unlawful in respect that they were procedurally unfair” and had been “tainted with apparent bias”.

The Scottish Government admitted it had breached its own guidelines during the investigation by appointing an investigator who had “prior involvement” in the case.

Scottish Conservative MSP, and member of the committee on the handling of harassment complaints, Donald Cameron, said: “It is outrageous over half a million pounds has been wasted thanks to the botched handling of this investigation.

“This is taxpayers’ money that will be handed over to Alex Salmond thanks to the appalling way these complaints were dealt with.

“In addition to this wasted money, the two people who made these complaints have been badly let down by the Scottish Government.

“That is exactly why the Holyrood inquiry that we called for is necessary.

“This scandal cannot simply be swept under the carpet, and parliament must get to the bottom of exactly what happened.”

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “A final settlement of £512,250 has been made to Mr Salmond for legal costs arising from his petition for judicial review.”

A spokesman for Mr Salmond said: “The huge amounts which have been paid in legal expenses by the Scottish Government reflects the agreement by which the investigation of Mr Salmond was declared by the Court of Session as ‘unlawful’, ‘unfair’ and ‘tainted by apparent bias’.

“All Mr Salmond’s legal costs for the judicial review, including those not fully covered by the court expenses award, are in the process of being paid.

“When that is completed there is likely to still be a surplus in the crowdfunder which supported his application for judicial review.

“This will be independently audited and distributed to good causes in terms of the commitments previously given by Mr Salmond.”

Picture: PA. Alex Salmond served as first minister of Scotland until 2014.