THE Holyrood committee investigating the Scottish Government’s botched probe into harassment allegations against Alex Salmond say they are becoming “frustrated” with the former First Minister.
The MSPs have accused him of holding back information relevant to the inquiry.
In a letter to Salmond’s lawyer, the committee convenor, Linda Fabiani, says she has been asking for a written account since July.
“The committee has set numerous deadlines for the submission of the account of the Former First Minister which needs to cover the complaints handling process, the judicial review and the communications that make up the ministerial code phase of the inquiry,” she writes.
Previously, Salmond’s lawyers have said they are constrained in what they can send the committee, saying that for “substantive and meaningful” submission, they would need to “make reference to a number of documents revealed to him and to which he alluded to after being acquitted of all charges in the High Court” following his criminal trial.
However, the Crown Office has warned that doing so could risk breaking the law.
In her letter, Fabiani said the committee has “already written to the Court of Session and established what can be released” from the judicial review and has also written to the Lord Advocate asking for the “release of evidence relevant to the Committee’s remit from the criminal trial.”
The SNP MSP added: “The committee acknowledges therefore the restrictions placed on the former First Minister in relation to the provision of documents but repeats what is has said previously on numerous occasions that it is imperative that Mr Salmond provides his account by way of a written submission.
“The committee has also repeatedly said that your client should make a submission to the extent to which he is able at this point and can provide supplementary evidence and documentation at a later date if need be. Despite the legal constraints, the committee continues to believe that there is evidence that Mr Salmond can share at this stage.”
The MSP says the committee has published “unprompted letters” from the legal firm “in the interests of openness and transparency" but "is becoming frustrated that Mr Salmond considers that he can make points of his own selection to the Committee, when he wishes, whilst not providing information that the committee prioritises the most to progress its scrutiny.”
She said if restrictions are lifted on other documents later in this process, that the former First Minister can then submit supplementary evidence.
Salmond is set to appear before the committee next month.
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