Salmond considers legal action after book ‘leaks’ misconduct probe findings

ALEX Salmond has taken legal steps over a new book about sexual misconduct claims against him and his bitter rift with Nicola Sturgeon.

The former first minister said he had consulted his lawyers over Break-up, by the respected journalists David Clegg and Kieran Andrews, which is due out today.

Mr Salmond, now leader of the Alba Party, said he considered the book potentially breached criminal law and had reported his concern to prosecutors.

He also said he was “actively considering” legal remedies in the civil courts, a potential reference to a defamation action.

Condemning “press smears based on malicious leaks and ludicrous gossip”, he said: “I have therefore instructed my legal team to write to the appropriate investigating authorities in order that these matters, including potential criminality, be comprehensively investigated.”

It followed serialisation of the book in The Times and Sunday Times in recent days, culminating yesterday in an extract about the Scottish Government’s bungled misconduct probe in 2018.

Mr Salmond had the findings set aside, or “reduced”, in a costly judicial review action in 2019.

The Government accepted the findings were unfair, unlawful, and “tainted by apparent bias” because of contacts between a key official and the two civil servants who filed complaints about Mr Salmond’s conduct while he was first minister.

This led to taxpayers having to pay Mr Salmond’s £512,000 costs.

During a later Holyrood inquiry into the mistakes, Mr Salmond’s lawyers fought against MSPS seeing the original findings, arguing they were null and void, and for the Government to release them would effectively undo the judicial review.

The latest book extract contained part of these findings, including comments from the Government’s top official, Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans, who was ultimately in charge of the probe and delivered her conclusions to Mr Salmond.

The book said Ms Evans upheld five of 11 complaints against Mr Salmond, deeming some behaviour “unwanted and of a sexual nature”.

Some of the complaints were passed to prosecutors.

In March 2020, Mr Salmond was cleared on all counts of sexual assault in a High Court trial.

In a statement, Mr Salmond said he had referred the book extracts to the Crown Office for “criminal investigation”. He said: “I consider that the book potentially breaches the criminal law in a number of ways and I have reported my concerns to the Crown.

“Secondly, I have instructed my lawyers also to report to the Crown the outrageous decision of some to publish leaked extracts of

Leslie Evans’s findings in the original, unlawful investigation. Any leaking ... undermines the entire purpose and outcome of the successful judicial review.

“As such, it is an attack on the administration of justice itself. Separately, I am also now actively considering afresh the legal remedies available in the civil