An investigation has resumed into whether Nicola Sturgeon broke ministerial rules and misled the Scottish parliament about when she knew about sexual misconduct complaints against Alex Salmond.
Scotland's first minister has been accused of breaking the ministerial code when she "failed to feed back the basic facts" about meetings and discussions she had with Mr Salmond between March and July 2018.
It's also been suggested that she may have tried to influence the sexual harassment investigation that was then under way into Mr Salmond.
John Swinney, the deputy first minister, said he was restarting the referral and that it would be carried out by James Hamilton, a former director of public prosecutions in Ireland, who will act as independent adviser.
He will have the power to interview any minister or official in the Scottish government and examine documents related to the meetings and discussions between the first minister and Mr Salmond.
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The referral had to be paused in early 2019 so as not to risk prejudicing criminal proceedings – and then due to the coronavirus pandemic – but Mr Swinney said it could now restart.
Mr Salmond was cleared of all the sexual assault charges he faced at the High Court in Edinburgh in March.
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Sky News learned there are conflicting accounts of one of the meetings in question, which Ms Sturgeon attended at the height of a government inquiry into her predecessor.
She told parliament she was informed of complaints against Mr Salmond when he told her himself on 2 April 2018.
However, a previously unseen account of an earlier meeting contradicts her version of events.
It indicates she was involved in a "discussion about the investigation" before the date she gave to parliament – on 29 Read More – Source
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