ALEX Salmond is set to release a statement today as Holyrood goes into recess before the May elections.
Reports over the weekend said Nicola Sturgeon’s predecessor is planning to give a response after the James Hamilton and the committee reports have been published. No details were given.
The two key reports relating to the First Minister's actions and the Scottish Government's unlawful handling of complaints made against Salmond have been published this week.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon did not breach ministerial code, James Hamilton finds
On Monday, James Hamilton, the former director of public prosecutions in Ireland, cleared the First Minister of any breaches of the ministerial code in relation to meetings she had with her predecessor and over her actions relating to the case when he published his 60-page report.
On Tuesday, a Holyrood committee ruled by majority she misled Parliament over “an inaccurate account” of her actions. She has denied doing so and described the committee’s conclusion, leaked last week, as “partisan”. The finding was disputed by the four SNP members of the committee.
READ MORE: Major flaws identified by report in the handling of harassment complaints
But the committee's 192-page report listed a series of flaws in the government's handling of the complaints in three areas - over the drawing up of the procedure, its implementation and its response to the judicail review by Salmond. These were unanimously agreed by the committee's members.
It was reported over the weekend the two women whose complaints about Salmond sparked the Scottish Government’s unlawful investigation told MSPs in a private session of a “toxic culture” while Salmond was First Minister and Sturgeon his deputy.
In evidence to the inquiry, the First Minister said she had “no general concerns at the time about Scottish government culture from 2008-14, and certainly not about sexual harassment”. However, MSPs were told of an atmosphere demeaning to women at the time, with one of the female civil servants saying it was “like the Wild West in there”.
MSPs were told staff felt shamed because they were expected to tie Salmond’s shoelaces, straighten his tie, apply hand sanitiser to him and comb his hair and remove dandruff.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We cannot comment in detail on evidence given in private and which we have not seen or heard.
“We are committed to ensuring our employees are able to take action on unacceptable behaviour with the necessary degree of confidence.”
Salmond was approached for comment by the Sunday Times on the claims.
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