A “POLITICAL conspiracy” which Alex Salmond allies believe was drawn up by Scottish Government figures to undermine the former First Minister are to come to light in the coming weeks as a major parliamentary inquiry enters its next phase.
Salmond was cleared by a jury of sexually assaulting nine women while he was Scotland’s First Minister from 2007 to 2014. He had insisted he was innocent of all 13 charges against him throughout the trial.
Following his acquittal in March he made a statement outside the High Court in Edinburgh saying there was “certain evidence” he would have liked to have presented but for “a variety of reasons” was unable to do so. He added it would see the light of day later.
It is now understood this information will be contained in a written submission the former First Minister will submit to the Holyrood committee set up to investigate the Scottish Government’s flawed handling of sexual misconduct complaints against him.
An August 4 deadline has been set for participants’ written submissions.
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Leslie Evans, Scotland’s top civil servant who led the Scottish Government into a losing legal battle with Salmond over the handling of the sexual misconduct complaints, will be the first person to give oral evidence to the committee on August 18. Last year Evans apologised for what she called the incorrect application of “one particular part” of the investigation procedure.
On its policy on publishing written submissions, the committee notes: “Parliamentary committees generally publish all written evidence unless there are legal or other reasons … not to do so. The committee will take a similar open and transparent approach to other parliamentary committees.
“However, there are some additional considerations the committee will make when handling written evidence. The committee will redact personal or other identifying information in material it publishes where it considers it necessary to do so to comply with the Court Order (particularly in relation to jigsaw identification) and data protection requirements.”
The allegation of a political conspiracy against Salmond formed a part of his defence. During his trial the former First Minister said some of the complaints against him were “political fabrications”.
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His point was highlighted by his advocate Gordon Jackson QC in his closing speech on the 10th day of the trial.
Jackson said one alleged victim, a senior official in the Scottish Government, had not told anyone he groped her for years after the alleged incident. “This stinks, absolutely stinks,” he said.
Sturgeon has dismissed claims of a conspiracy against her predecessor as a “heap of nonsense”, saying she would “elaborate” in the future.
The First Minister said last month: “There was no conspiracy. It’s a heap of nonsense. But I’ll, as I say, in the fullness of time, get the opportunity to elaborate on that view.”
Following Salmond’s acquittal Jim Sillars, the former SNP deputy leader, said: “The book [Salmond] is writing – with the material he was not allowed to produce at trial but which has all the authenticity of Scottish Government and SNP party documents – will be like a volcano going off underneath some people.”
The criminal case followed the internal Scottish Government probe, which Salmond successfully challenged. The Holyrood committee is investigating the decisions made during the Scottish Government probe. The First Minister and her husband, SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, are among the people due to take part in the Holyrood inquiry.
