NICOLA Sturgeon’s husband has been forced to clarify his evidence to a Holyrood inquiry after barely a day following questions about whether he misled MSPs.
SNP chief executive Peter Murrell told the inquiry into the Alex Salmond affair on Tuesday that he did not use the WhatsApp messaging service.
Asked whether he knew anything about people plotting against Mr Salmond using WhatsApp, he said: “I know nothing about a WhatsApp group. I’m not WhatsApp. It’s not a social media platform I use.”
However it later emerged there was a WhatsApp account linked to Mr Murrell’s mobile phone number and it appeared to have been active as November 22.
Supplying a document he promised the inquiry yesterday, Mr Murrell admitted he did have WhatsApp installed on his phone, but insisted it wasn’t used.
READ MORE: Alex Salmond inquiry: Recall demand for Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell after 'sleekit' evidence
He wrote: “I've noticed some commentary this morning about what I said yesterday in response to questions about WhatsApp groups. I do not use WhatsApp.
“There are several messaging apps on my phone that I don’t use.
“This includes profiles on Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn, Instagram, Slack, Skype, and WhatsApp, none of which I use.
“I use my phone to make calls and to send emails and texts. Twitter is the only social media platform I’m active on. I trust the... above clarification is helpful.”
Opposition parties this morning demanded Mr Murrell be recalled to give a second round of evidence after his first session was branded "shambolic" and "sleekit".
Mr Murrell twice contradicted himself by saying he both knew and didn’t know in advance about a key meeting between Mr Salmond and his wife, and that he both was and wasn’t in the couple’s Glasgow home when it took place.
The Holyrood inquiry is investigating how the Scottish Government bungled a probe into sexual misconduct claims made against Mr Salmond in 2018.
The former first minister had the exercise set aside in a judicial review by showing it was “tainted by apparent bias”, a flaw that left taxpayers with a £512,000 bill for his costs.
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