Nicola Sturgeon misled the Scottish Parliament over her handling of harassment claims against Alex Salmond, an inquiry has concluded.
The committee of MSPs said the First Minister ‘potentially breached the ministerial code’, which is generally considered a resignation offence.
Their highly anticipated report, obtained by Sky News, came after Ms Sturgeon gave evidence for eight hours about her role in the Scottish Government’s botched investigation into Mr Salmond in 2018.
In a written submission to the Holyrood Inquiry, and later repeated during the oral testimony, Ms Sturgeon insisted she did not offer to intervene in the complaints process against Mr Salmond on April 2, 2018.
The committee’s majority verdict was that this was in ‘fundamental contradiction’ to testimonies from Mr Salmond and other key witnesses.
Nicola Sturgeon misled the Scottish Parliament over her handling of harassment claims against Alex Salmond, an inquiry has concluded
The report concludes: ‘Her written evidence is, therefore, an inaccurate account of what happened and she has misled the committee on this matter.
‘This is a potential breach of the ministerial code’.
MSPs did not go as far as to say Ms Sturgeon ‘knowingly’ broke the code, for which ministers are expected to resign, but the findings will put immense pressure on her position.
Sky News reports the entire report will be officially published in the coming days.
The Holyrood Inquiry was tasked with investigating the Scottish Government’s handling of sexual harassment complaints made against the former first minister.
A successful judicial review by Mr Salmond resulted in the investigation being ruled unlawful and ‘tainted by apparent bias’, with a £512,250 payout being awarded to him for legal fees.
Mr Salmond was also later acquitted of 13 charges following a criminal trial.
A spokesman for the First Minister said tonight: ‘The First Minister told the truth to the committee in eight hours of evidence, and stands by that evidence.
‘It is clear from past public statements that opposition members of this committee had prejudged the First Minister at the outset of the inquiry and before hearing a word of her evidence, so this partisan and selective briefing – before the committee has actually published its final report – is hardly surprising.
‘The question of the First Minister’s adherence to the ministerial code is being considered independently by James Hamilton and we expect to receive and publish his report soon.’
The report from James Hamilton QC will rule specifically on whether Ms Sturgeon broke the ministerial code.
Critics accuse her of breaking the code by misleading Parliament on when she first learnt of allegations against Mr Salmond.
A successful judicial review by Mr Salmond resulted in the investigation being ruled unlawful and ‘tainted by apparent bias’, with a £512,250 payout being awarded to him for legal fees
Ms Sturgeon gave evidence for eight hours about the Scottish Government’s botched investigation into Mr Salmond in 2018
Ms Sturgeon previously claimed to have learnt about the allegations when Mr Salmond informed her at her home on April 2, 2018.
It later emerged she had had a meeting with Mr Salmond’s former chief of staff, Geoff Aberdein, on March 29 in her office.
Ms Sturgeon claimed to have ‘forgot’ this meeting and later explained she thought they were talking about harassment in ‘general terms’.
She is also accused of failing to record crucial meetings, and pursuing the case against Mr Salmond despite lawyers telling her to drop it.
The First Minister has so far refused to preempt speculation of her future and said her priority is dealing with Covid.
In his testimony, Mr Salmond – once a mentor and close friend of Miss Sturgeon – accused his successor and senior SNP figures of orchestrating a concerted plot to bring him down.
Miss Sturgeon has denied this and insisted she was never out to ‘get’ Mr Salmond.
She told MSPs at the inquiry: ‘I feel I may rebut the absurd suggestion that anyone acted with malice or as part of a plot against Alex Salmond. That claim is not based in any fact.’
‘Alex Salmond was one of the the closest people to me in my life – I would never have wanted to get Alex Salmond. I had no motive intention or desire to get Alex.’
The row at the heart of the SNP has reached a crescendo with just months to go before crucial Holyrood elections.
Ms Sturgeon is on course to win a majority – albeit by just one seat, according to recent polls – and will likely use the mandate to demand another independence referendum.