MSPs to question top Sturgeon aide

NICOLA Sturgeon’s chief of staff will have to appear at the inquiry into the botched probe into complaints against Alex Salmond after a failed bid to block the move.

MSPs yesterday threw out efforts by Scottish Government officials to have civil servants give evidence as a group to the Holyrood committee. They demanded that key witnesses, including Liz Lloyd, are quizzed individually.

Yesterday, a series of letters was published ahead of the probe’s first public evidence session which will take place next Tuesday, with Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans to be the first to appear.

She had requested that two of her civil servant colleagues and aides be allowed to attend with her to help answer questions.

But committee convener Linda Fabiani wrote to Mrs Evans saying it wanted ‘you and senior civil servants individually, rather than on the same panel’.

The committee is investigating the Scottish parliament’s botched probe into complaints against Mr Salmond in 2018, which led to him being awarded £512,250 of public money.

A judicial review ruled the Scottish Government’s investigation into two harassment complaints against Mr Salmond was unlawful and tainted with bias. In March, Mr Salmond was cleared of 13 sexual assault charges.

Correspondence from the Scottish Government to the committee said that officials wished to submit a joint written timeline on events leading up to the review and the development of harassment policy.

But Miss Fabiani said she had ‘made it clear’ MSPs would seek evidence ‘directly’ from witnesses they wished to speak to.

She added ‘further evidence from individual officials’ would be required, stating: ‘This includes from the chief of staff.’