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BRITAIN-SCOTLAND-POLITICS-ASSAULT
Former Scottish leader Salmond accused of sexual misconduct
EDINBURGH, Aug 24, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Alex Salmond, the former nationalist
leader who took Scotland to the brink of independence in 2014, has denied
accusations of sexual misconduct which were reported in a Scottish newspaper
on Friday.
Police have reportedly been asked to investigate allegations he sexually
assaulted two staff members at the first minister’s official residence at
Bute House in Edinburgh, according to the Daily Record newspaper.
The matter was passed on to the police by Scottish government officials
following an internal probe, the paper said.
In a statement, the Scottish National Party veteran said the complaints,
which reportedly date back to 2013 when he was first minister of Scotland,
are “patently ridiculous”.
Police would not say whether there was an ongoing criminal inquiry, but
Salmond confirmed he has launched civil proceedings against the Scottish
government over the internal investigation.
Salmond claims the Scottish government’s most senior official, Leslie
Evans, has acted “unlawfully” in raising the complaint over three years after
he left office.
“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,” he said.
“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 were patently ridiculous.”
In response, the Scottish government said it would “defend its position
vigorously”.
“It is vital that any allegations of harassment are treated seriously and
investigated thoroughly, regardless of the identity of the party involved,” a
spokesman said.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1529 hrs