A VETERAN SNP MSP has renewed his call for a judge-led inquiry into the Alex Salmond affair and claims of a conspiracy involving the Scottish Government.
Former minister Alex Neil said the need for such a move "is becoming clearer every week".
He said the Holyrood inquiry into the affair is failing to get the information it needs while facing a "damaging daily drip-feed of allegations".
This is having a "corrosive effect" on public opinion and party morale, Mr Neil said.
Mr Salmond launched a judicial review against the Government after it held a sexual misconduct probe into him in 2018 following complaints about his time as First Minister.
He had the exercise set aside by showing the probe was “tainted by apparent bias” because the investigating official had been in prior contact with his accusers.
His Court of Session victory left taxpayers with a £512,000 bill for his costs, and a Holyrood inquiry is now investigating how the Government bungled the probe and legal case.
Shortly after Mr Salmond won his civil action, he was charged with sexual assault, which led to a criminal trial earlier this year at which he was acquitted on all 13 counts.
His supporters have since claimed he was the victim of a conspiracy by senior figures in the SNP who wanted to stop him making a political comeback and rivalling Ms Sturgeon.
In a new statement, Mr Neil, the MSP for Airdrie and Shotts, said: "On March 23 this year, after Alex Salmond was found not guilty of 13 criminal charges in the High Court, I called on the Scottish Government to set up a judge-led inquiry into the allegation that he had been the subject of a conspiracy involving the Scottish Government, which resulted in him being accused of criminal behaviour.
"Today I am repeating my call for such an inquiry.
"To be credible such an inquiry would need to be independent of politics and politicians.
"It should be presided over by a judge whose remit would be to establish the facts and decide if there had been a conspiracy, if so who were the participants and did they break the law.
"The judge should have the resources and powers needed, with full access to all relevant documentation including papers protected by the court.
"The inquiry should also have the legal powers to call whichever witnesses it chooses.
"The need for such an inquiry is becoming clearer every week, given that the present parliamentary inquiry is subject to two negative outcomes – failure to get the information it needs, and a damaging daily drip-feed of allegations, both of which are having a corrosive effect on public opinion and party morale.
"This is a matter that rises above party. It is about conduct in the public sphere, and whether there has been an abuse of power.
"I hope my fellow MSPs right across the party spectrum will join with me in this call.
"It is in the people’s interest to have this issue dealt with fairly and swiftly, in the hands of an experienced impartial judge. Only an independent inquiry can do that."
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