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Salmond calls for Sturgeon probe to be expanded as bitter rift between former allies escalates

Ms Sturgeon had previously described Mr Salmond as her friend and mentor - Andrew Milligan/PA
Ms Sturgeon had previously described Mr Salmond as her friend and mentor - Andrew Milligan/PA

Alex Salmond has called for the scope of an investigation into the conduct of Nicola Sturgeon to be widened, as a bitter rift between the pair escalated.

In an email to James Hamilton, who is leading a probe into whether Ms Sturgeon broke the ministerial code, Mr Salmond asked whether the First Minister would be investigated for potentially misleading parliament and failing to act on legal advice.

He said the remit given to Mr Hamilton by John Swinney, Ms Sturgeon’s deputy, placed a “surprising stress” on whether she meddled in an investigation into sexual harassment complaints against him.

“It might even be suspected that this remit has been set up as a straw man to knock down,” Mr Salmond wrote, before asking whether “equal status” would be given to other potential breaches.

Under the ministerial code, minsters who knowingly mislead parliament are expected to resign.

Nicola Sturgeon referred herself for investigation -  JEFF J MITCHELL/AFP
Nicola Sturgeon referred herself for investigation - JEFF J MITCHELL/AFP

Mr Hamilton, a former director of public prosecutions in Ireland, has been commissioned to investigate Ms Sturgeon, in a separate inquiry to the Holyrood investigation into the botched handling of the complaints against Mr Salmond. Ms Sturgeon referred herself for investigation under the ministerial code.

Mr Salmond and his allies believe he was the victim of a politically-motivated plot.

In his email, Mr Salmond said he was representing himself in relation to Mr Hamilton’s investigation as he could not afford to hire more lawyers.

In what will be perceived as a swipe at his former SNP allies, he said: “I am also informed that other witnesses are relying on their political party to finance their legal representation.”

Mr Salmond also informed Mr Hamilton that he had documents relevant to his inquiry, obtained in disclosures during criminal proceedings, but said he had been told he could be prosecuted if he so much as described them.

On the scope of the ministerial code probe, Mr Salmond said: “What I wish to know is whether matters which, by contrast, are specified in the Ministerial code such as the primary responsibility of not misleading Parliament (contrary to 1.3 (c) of the code), such as the failure to act on legal advice suggesting the Government was at risk of behaving unlawful (contrary to 2.30 of the code), and such as the Ministerial failure to ensure civil servants gave truthful information to parliament (contrary to 1.3 (e) of the code) will have at least equal status in your deliberations or are you confined to the political remit which you have been set?

"If your enquiry has been confined by Ministers then please tell me if you have the authority to expand that remit unilaterally? If not, will you seek the authority of those in the Scottish Government who set the remit to expand it into these, and other, areas?”

Ms Sturgeon has come under scrutiny over when she first became aware of the complaints against Mr Salmond.

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said it was aware of the letter, adding: “the remit of Mr Hamilton's work is well established and was set out to the Parliament by the Deputy First Minister."