ONE of the MSPs on the Holyrood committee investigating the failed civil service probe into allegations of harassment made against Alex Salmond has warned that its "final conclusion may be incomplete".
Alex Cole-Hamilton's warning came after it emerged that evidence from Geoff Aberdein, the former First Minister’s chief of staff, will not be published.
His testimony was handed over to MSPs three months ago, but won’t be made available because of “legal obligations”.
READ MORE: Holyrood committee hands Alex Salmond new appearance deadline
The cross-party committee is investigating the Scottish Government’s investigation into allegations of misconduct made against the former First Minister.
Salmond had the exercise set aside in January 2019, with a judicial review declaring it “unlawful” and “tainted by bias”.
The Government’s botched handling ultimately cost the taxpayer half a million pounds.
One of the key lines of inquiry for the committee is over when Nicola Sturgeon first knew of the sexual misconduct complaints against her predecessor.
She initially told parliament that it was only when she and Salmond met at her home on April 2, 2018, but it later emerged she discussed the allegations with Aberdein, in her Holyrood office four days earlier.
The SNP leader told the Holyrood inquiry examining the Scottish Government’s botched handling of the sexual harassment allegations against Salmond that she “forgot” about the encounter with Aberdein.
Though Salmond, in evidence to an investigation about whether Sturgeon broke the ministerial code, claimed she misled MSPs with “false and manifestly untrue” statements.
The inquiry wrote to Aberdein in July and he provided his submission in October, but the committee website states it will not be published:
“The Parliament can only publish submissions where publication is compliant with the legal obligations on the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body, which may be different than legal obligations on individual submitters.
“As a result of this process, the Parliament has decided that a number of these submissions should not be published, including the submission from Geoff Aberdein. A number of other submissions have been redacted.”
Parliament's decision means the evidence cannot be used as part of the committee’s deliberation.
LibDem committee member Cole-Hamilton, told The Times: “I fear that the final conclusion may be incomplete as a result.”
Meanwhile, Salmond has alleged the Scottish Government’s “reprehensible” failure to release 46 “crucial” documents put him at a disadvantage in both the judicial review and his criminal trial.
In written evidence to the committee, published on Wednesday night, he said: “Many are crucial and could have been significant in both the civil and criminal proceedings.”
He also said his legal team has asked the Lord Advocate whether the SNP Government was in contempt of court over the “withholding of relevant evidence” from his trial.
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