Now top SNP banker to face inquiry over Salmond case
A SENIOR civil servant is set to be called before MSPs over claims staff alerted him to alleged sexual misconduct by Alex Salmond.
David Wilson, programme director of the Scottish National Investment Bank, was a government mandarin when concern was said to have been raised about the then First Minister.
Mr Salmond’s trial on a series of sexual offences allegations heard testimony that Mr Wilson was told about a report of an alleged incident involving a female civil servant.
But no evidence was led about what Mr Wilson then did with the information.
The former SNP leader was cleared of all charges.
Sources close to a forthcoming Holyrood probe set to examine the fallout from the Salmond debacle said they expected Mr
Wilson to be called as a witness.
Scottish Tory deputy leader Annie Wells said it was ‘vital that the Scottish parliamentary inquiry into the Scottish Government’s mishandling of the Alex Salmond sexual assault allegations calls Mr Wilson as a witness’.
She added: ‘It’s clear that Mr Wilson will be able to give firsthand testimony regarding the events that took place, and the workplace practices, within the Government during this time.’
At Mr Salmond’s trial, civil servant Joseph Griffin claimed that, following previous accusations, female officials were stopped from working evenings alone with Mr Salmond at Bute House, the First Minister’s official Edinburgh residence.
Mr Salmond said he had no knowledge of any such policy.
Mr Griffin claimed that after one alleged incident involving a female staff member, Mr Wilson, who was the director of communities and ministerial support, was alerted.
In March, Mr Salmond was found not guilty on 12 charges including sexual assault and attempted rape, with a charge of sexual assault with intent to rape found ‘not proven’.
After the trial, the former First Minister pledged that evidence of a conspiracy against him would be made public after the Covid-19 crisis was over.
Mr Wilson, from Hamilton, Lanarkshire, who has held a number of posts within the Scottish Government, became programme director for the Scottish National Investment Bank – which aims to make it easier for firms to borrow money – in July 2018.
Former Scottish Secretary David Mundell is lobbying for a separate inquiry into the ‘conduct, operation and practices’ of the civil service while Mr Salmond was First Minister.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We welcome the opportunity the parliamentary inquiry will bring to address issues which have been raised.’
‘Mishandling of the allegations’