Alex Salmond allegations ‘difficult to come to terms with’, says Nicola Sturgeon
3 min read
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said it is “difficult to come to terms” with allegations made against her former boss Alex Salmond.
Ms Sturgeon insisted that all allegations must be taken seriously regardless of the “identity, seniority or political allegiance of the person involved.”
The SNP leader, who succeded Mr Salmond as party leader and First Minister having previously served as his deputy, broke her silence after claims made about him were made public last night, admitting that they would be "upsetting for the party."
Mr Salmond has been accused of sexually assaulting two former staff members at his then-official residence in 2013, according to the Daily Record.
He vigorously denied the claims and has launched legal action against the Scottish government over its handling of an internal probe into the matter.
In a statement on Twitter, Ms Sturgeon wrote: “These complaints have been considered since [January] under a procedure covering ministers and former ministers that was agreed by me in December 2017 in the wake of public concern about harassment.”
She revealed that she has been made aware of the allegations by Mr Salmond “some time” ago but had not been involved in the internal investigation into his behaviour.
“I have no role in the process, and to have referred to it before now would have compromised the integrity of the internal investigation which I was not prepared to do,“ she said.
“However, I was informed by the Permanent Secretary earlier this week that she had completed her investigation and that she intended to make the fact of the complaints public.
She added: “Alex Salmond is now challenging the Scottish Government’s procedure in court. The Scottish Government refutes his criticisms of its process and will defend its position vigorously.
“However, this focus on process cannot deflect from the fact that complaints were made that could not be ignored or swept under the carpet.”
Ms Sturgeon, who was closely mentored by Mr Salmond during her time as Deputy First Minister, admitted that the relationship between the pair made it “an extremely difficult situation… to come to terms with.”
She added: “I am also acutely aware how upsetting this will be for my party. However the over-riding priority must be to ensure fair and due process. I would also ask that the privacy of those who have complained be respected.”
In a statement on Twitter, Mr Salmond blasted the investigation as "unjust" and said the case would now be heard by a “real court”.
He wrote: “For many months now, and on the advice of senior counsel, I have attempted to persuade the Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government that she is behaving unlawfully in the application of a complaints procedure, introduced by her more than three years after I left office.
“This is a procedure so unjust that even now I have not been allowed to see and therefore to properly challenge the case against me. I have not been allowed to see the evidence.
“I have tried everything, including offers of conciliation, mediation and legal arbitration to resolve these matters both properly and amicably.
“This would have been in everybody’s interests, particularly those of the two complainants. All of these efforts have been rejected.
“The Permanent Secretary chose to deny me contact with any current civil servant, many of whom wished to give evidence on my behalf and access to documentation to allow me to properly challenge the complaints, all of which I refute and some of which are patently ridiculous."
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