The Scottish government has had to pay former First Minister Alex Salmond £512k in legal costs following a badly handled investigation into allegations of sexual harassment.
The Scottish government had earlier admitted that it had not followed the correct procedure when it appointed an investigating officer who, although acting “in good faith”, had prior involvement with the case. The Court of Session declared that the government was therefore not acting impartially when conducting the investigation.
The issue of whether Alex Salmond is innocent of any criminality will be heard in the Edinburgh High Court early in the new year. A Scottish parliamentary inquiry into the handling of the investigation into the allegations against Alex Salmond has been suspended until the criminal case is complete.
