I told Sturgeon about concerns over Salmond in November 2017
Inquiry hears First Minister was informed months before probe started
NICOLA Sturgeon knew about concerns over Alex Salmond’s behaviour months before a formal Scottish Government probe into alleged harassment, an inquiry has heard.
Civil service boss Leslie Evans said yesterday she raised the issue with Sturgeon in November 2017 after learning about media interest in an “incident” at Edinburgh Airport.
It adds to growing questions about the timeline of events while the Scottish Government was drawing up a complaints policy covering ex-ministers.
Evans was appearing before MSPs on a special Holyrood committee set up to investigate the Scottish Government’s botched handling of its inquiry into allegations about Salmond’s conduct.
The former first minister was accused of harassment, which he denied. A judicial review then found the Government inquiry was biased and unlawful, and MSPs are now raking over the fiasco.
Evans, the first official to appear before the committee, said concerns were raised by “a whole range of people” in November 2017.
She told the inquiry under oath: “I was made aware of contact that had taken place between Mr Salmond and certain Scottish Government members of staff in very early November.
“He had contacted them because he wanted to talk to them about a piece of media work which was going on, which was being undertaken by Sky News.
“I was told by two different sources, one of them extremely concerned, that they had received this contact and they were a bit bewildered and unhappy about it. “I didn’t know what was said, I didn’t ask, I didn’t think it was appropriate to know.
“I mentioned that – that Mr Salmond had been in touch with staff about an Edinburgh Airport incident that Sky News were investigating – to the First Minister.”
The claims, which Salmond denied, appeared in the media.
The Government reviewed its policies on complaints in October 2017. A review of complaints against former ministers was added in early November 2017.
A formal investigation began in January 2018 and Salmond was informed that March. Sturgeon has said she knew about the probe that April.
Evans was asked about the decision to make the complaints process retrospective, which allowed the inclusion of allegations against former ministers including Salmond, who was no longer in office.
Asked by Lib Dem MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton if the system was “designed to get Alex Salmond”, Evans replied: “No, absolutely not.”
Evans provoked frustration among MSPs for saying she “can’t remember” some conversations with key staff.
And she would not comment on allegations that women were advised not to be alone with Salmond.
At the start of the session, Evans said: “When complaints were raised, it would have been unconscionable, and a failure in our duty of care, not to investigate those complaints.
“However, it was accepted at judicial review that one part of our procedure should have been applied differently. I apologise unreservedly for this procedural failure.”
Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said: “The inclusion of former ministers to the policy appears to have been added at a point that coincided with the Permanent Secretary and others becoming aware of allegations made against the former first minister.
“It is the role of this committee to uncover how it came to be that the Scottish taxpayer was made to foot the bill for an expensive and botched investigation.”
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: “We now know that Nicola Sturgeon was aware of Alex Salmond contacting Scottish Government staff in November 2017. Are we really to believe that the First Minister didn’t ask anyone what Mr Salmond was saying?
“It seems Nicola Sturgeon has been caught out by her Permanent Secretary and she must urgently come clean about what she knew and when.”