Nicola Sturgeon will testify under oath on Wednesday about her role in the handling of sexual harassment complaints against Alex Salmond, hours after the release of messages he claims prove a conspiracy against him. Weeks after the government conceded, Mr Salmond was charged with 13 counts of sexual assault but was cleared of all charges after a criminal trial last year. The Scottish government refused to release the legal advice until a no-confidence motion in Mr Swinney looked likely to succeed. Mr Wolffe defended the Crown Office’s role after Mr Salmond suggested it had been doing the government’s bidding by seeking to limit the testimony the parliamentary committee could hear. “Mr Salmond has stated that the Crown has tied his hands in respect of the use of information that he holds – it is the law, not the Crown, that stays his hands,” he said.

Source: The Irish Times March 02, 2021 18:45 UTC