- Salmond accuses Scottish officials.
- Lawsuit alleges government misfeasance.
- Sturgeon denies wrongdoing claims.
Civil servants are being accused of “misfeasance” by the leader of the Alba Party, which is pursuing damages and lost wages. The action names former permanent secretary Leslie Evans, former chief of staff Liz Lloyd, and former first minister Nicola Sturgeon among the public officials and ministers implicated.
Alex Salmond’s new lawsuit against the Scottish government accuses senior people, including Nicola Sturgeon, of “misfeasance”
In 2019, Mr. Salmond awarded the government £512,000 in court for its improper management of harassment complaints lodged against him.
Following his term as first minister from 2007 to 2014, the former leader of the SNP was acquitted of sexual assault charges in a separate criminal prosecution in 2020.
Alex Salmond Sues Scottish Ministers for Alleged Misfeasance
The leader of the Alba Party is now suing civil servants for alleged “misfeasance.” He is demanding damages and lost wages in what he termed “a day of reckoning for the Scottish government.”
On Friday, the case of Alex Salmond v Scottish Ministers was formally presented before the Court of Session.
The action names former permanent secretary Leslie Evans and former chief of staff Liz Lloyd. It also includes former first minister Nicola Sturgeon among the public officials and ministers implicated.
A Ms. Sturgeon spokesperson stated that she “completely refutes” Mr. Salmond’s claims.
Mr. Salmond stated following the case’s adjournment that “not a single individual has been held accountable.” He characterized the situation as a “shady enterprise,” encompassing a Holyrood inquiry, criminal prosecution, and judicial review.
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He said he had “done his talking in parliament or in court” and would continue.
Despite “Lord Pentland’s findings in the Court of Session that the conduct of the former permanent secretary and her officials was ‘illegitimate,’ ‘unfair,’ and ‘tainted by apparent bias,'” no one was held accountable, according to Mr. Salmond.
Salmond Unveils Government Misconduct
Mr. Salmond also mentioned the Crown Office and police investigations into criminal disclosures and probable perjury during the trial.
Additionally, he detailed the astounding misfeasance revelations ultimately disclosed by the government’s legal counsel.
He continued, “With this court action, that evasion of responsibility ends.”
Mr. Salmond said he would “sist,” or halt the case, to allow criminal investigations into the leaks and perjury allegations.
He stated, “However, the action’s calling signifies that the Scottish government’s history of such egregious misfeasance will inevitably come to light.”
The Scottish government initiated an investigation into Mr. Salmond after two staff complaints were lodged under a recently implemented complaints procedure that included former ministers.
A judicial review concluded that the investigation had been “ostensibly tainted with bias” after the Scottish government admitted defeat and the subsequent award of £512,000 to Mr. Salmond.
After a trial at Edinburgh’s High Court, more than a dozen sexual misconduct allegations, including attempted rape, were dropped.
Legal Battle: Salmond Alleges Misfeasance
Holyrood then investigated the Scottish government’s reaction to the first two allegations, calling Mr. Salmond and Ms. Sturgeon to testify.
Amid the investigation, Mr. Salmond launched an assault on Ms. Evans. He claimed the former permanent secretary of Scotland harbored a “bias” against him and demanded her resignation.
Mr. Salmond announced his intention to sue Ms. Evans days before running for Alba Party leader in March 2021.
An investigation exacerbated a strained rapport between Mr. Salmond and Ms. Sturgeon, who had been intimate. Despite being exonerated of ministerial code infractions, Ms. Sturgeon mislead MSPs with her testimony.
Gordon Dangerfield, the attorney for Mr. Salmond, stated: “This is an act of misfeasance in public office in which we allege that Scottish government public officials acted improperly, in poor faith, and beyond their authority, with the intent to cause harm to Mr. Salmond.
“We assert that public officials determined early on, irrespective of the actual facts, that Mr. Salmond should be found guilty of the allegations levied against him.”
“As the situation escalated, we assert that public officials subsequently engaged in criminal activities, including the unlawful disclosure of sensitive documents, the withholding of documents from a parliamentary inquiry, and the solicitation of fictitious criminal complaints; furthermore, they allegedly misled the court during judicial review proceedings. Ultimately, they were found guilty of perjury during the parliamentary inquiry.”
We believe the above acts were taken for political reasons to undermine Mr. Salmond.
He claimed multiple documents requested by Mr. Dangerfield about the allegations “continue to be concealed by the Scottish government” over the past year.
Salmond’s Lawsuit: Government Defense
He stated, “Mr. Salmond’s primary objective in filing this lawsuit is to compel the Scottish government to reveal this crucial evidence and dismantle the protracted cover-up that has been ongoing for far too long.”
According to First Minister Humza Yousaf, the Scottish government will “vigorously” defend itself.
Mr. Yousaf, who was speaking at a press conference on Friday at the British-Irish Council in Dublin, initially declined to comment on the case but later added: “It should come as no surprise that the Scottish government will vigorously defend its position, but I will refrain from further elaboration as the case is ongoing.”
Later, a spokesperson for Ms. Sturgeon stated, “Nicola, as she has always done, categorically refutes Salmond’s claims.”
In 2021, she appeared before a parliamentary committee for eight hours to address questions. And the independent adviser on the ministerial code cleared her of any wrongdoing following an investigation.
The Scottish government is responsible for the case’s progression, while Salmond’s conduct is personal.
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