Labour: Justice Sec deliberately misled MSPs

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson may have broken the law by telling police watchdogs that allowing the Chief Constable to return to work was a “bad decision”, Labour claims.

Daniel Johnson, the party’s justice spokesman, has written to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon suggesting Mr Matheson’s behaviour could have breached the legislation that established Police Scotland.

Mr Matheson is under pressure over his involvement when the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) reversed a decision to allow Chief Constable Phil Gormley to return to work while misconduct investigations were being carried out.

The SPA board agreed in November that he could return to duty – but then-chair Andrew Flanagan has claimed Mr Matheson told him it was a “bad decision”.

Mr Matheson told MSPs he merely questioned whether Police Scotland’s leadership or the PIRC had been informed of the move. Neither had been told. But Mr Johnson claimed: “The minister’s characterisation of the meeting to Parliament was inaccurate and knowingly misleading.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Justice Secretary has acted entirely appropriately at all times. He made clear to Parliament he felt such clear deficiencies in the SPA board’s decision-making process were completely unacceptable.”