A court case against the Scottish Government which Alex Salmond launched last year will continue after his death, according to friends of the former First Minister.

Meanwhile, The Herald can reveal that Police Scotland has confirmed a criminal investigation into evidence given by a senior Scottish Government civil servant to a Holyrood inquiry into how complaints were handled by the SNP administration is also still ongoing.

“We are investigating a complaint in relation to evidence provided to a Scottish Parliament committee. These enquiries are ongoing and we are unable to comment further,” a Police Scotland spokesman said.

Mr Salmond died aged 69 on Saturday afternoon after he collapsed at lunch following a speech at a conference in North Macedonia. The former SNP leader, who latterly led the Alba party, suffered a suspected heart attack.

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Last night the leader of the conference in North Macedonia where Mr Salmond spent his last few days said the forum is “in a state of shock” over his death as he described the final moments of the former First Minister.

Mark Donfried, director of the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy, told the PA news agency on Sunday of running to get an ambulance for Mr Salmond.

"I was sitting across from him at lunch yesterday when all of a sudden he just went out and fell into the arms of a colleague of mine on the other side of the table. I immediately got up and ran to call an ambulance and when I came back, he was on the floor," he said.

Another witness told Times Radio on Sunday night that Mr Salmond "fell back in his chair, totally out of the blue without warning.”

He said the former First Minister collapsed as he was helping someone open a jar of ketchup.

Former SNP MPs Joanna Cherry and Kenny MacAskill, now Alba Party depute leader, and Conservative MP David Davis noted in comments made on Sunday that the civil action would be ongoing despite Mr Salmond's passing.

Kenny MacAskill speaking at an Alba Party event watched on by Alex Salmond (Image: PA) At the time of his death Mr Salmond was pursuing action through the Court of Session and Police Scotland in the aftermath of his acquittal at the High Court in Edinburgh in 2020 of charges of sexual assault and in relation to a flawed Scottish Government investigation into complaints made against him. 

In August this year Mr Salmond's lawyer Gordon Dangerfield told the Court of Session that Mr Salmond is seeking "significant damages" and compensation for loss of earnings that could total millions of pounds from ministers.

He alleged "malfeasance" by various former and current Scottish Government civil servants with his legal team arguing that they "conducted themselves improperly, in bad faith and beyond their powers, with the intention of injuring Mr Salmond”.

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"I think it's very important to remember that the two major court cases in which Alex was involved, Alex was acquitted, found innocent on all the charges, all the criminal charges against him, and in relation to the Scottish Government's investigation, the court said it was void because it was tainted by apparent bias," Ms Cherry said when asked on BBC Scotland's show on Sunday how his later split with his successor Nicola Sturgeon may affect his legacy.

Mr Cherry added: "Now, of course, Alex has an outstanding civil action and there are outstanding criminal investigations which we can't say very much about. I think it's a terrible tragedy that Alex has died before he was able to be completely vindicated, but I believe that time will vindicate his name." 

(Image: Academy for Cultural Diplomacy/PA Wire) In a tribute to Mr Salmond, Mr MacAskill, who served as justice secretary in Mr Salmond's governments from 2007 to 2014, said "courts would decide" on the actions of individuals he did not name.

"His legacy lives on and has benefitted Scotland immensely with infrastructure and other social and economic gains testifying to that. The actions of individuals and later administrations undoubtedly took their toll upon him. Courts will still rightly decide upon the actions of individuals whose behaviour towards him was deplorable and shameful," Mr MacAskill wrote.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Davis, who was a close friend of Mr Salmond's despite their political differences, said he was due to meet the former First Minister on Sunday to discuss the Court of Session case and that he would fight on.

"His death came a day before I was due to meet with him to discuss the next round in dealing with both the Scottish Government’s malevolent actions against him and the failure of the rule of law in Scotland," he wrote adding that he also intended to pursue a number of legal and parliamentary reforms in Scotland.

Floral tributes to Alex Salmond have laid outside the Scottish Parliament  (Image: Jane Barlow)

"I will, in his memory, continue the battle to ensure that justice is done. And it will be Alex Salmond’s victory when we achieve the protection of privilege for the Scottish parliament, when we get proper separation of powers between the Executive and the Scottish judicial process, and when we force a duty of candour for the first time on the Scottish Government."

Mr Salmond fell out bitterly with his successor Nicola Sturgeon after the Scottish Government launched an investigation into complaints of sexual harassment made against him.

He took Ms Sturgeon's administration to court with the investigation found by judges to be unlawful and "tainted by apparent bias". He was awarded more than £500,000 in costs.

Soon after he won his case he was charged by Police Scotland with sexual assault and was later acquitted of all charges at the High Court in Edinburgh.

Holyrood then launched an inquiry into the government's flawed investigation with Mr Salmond telling MSPs he believed there was a "malicious and concerted" attempt to remove him from public life and to get him imprisoned.

He also alleged that people involved in efforts to damage his reputation included allies of Ms Sturgeon. Ms Sturgeon said the suggestion she plotted against Mr Salmond was “absurd” and “not based in any fact.”

"I think more and more people across the political divide from Scotland are becoming interested in what exactly went on behind the scenes in relation to Alex Salmond," Ms Cherry told BBC Scotland on Sunday.

"And I think it's a great tragedy of Alex Salmond's career that so many of his erstwhile comrades and political colleagues and friends either stabbed him in the back or turned their back on him in his hour of need. I found that pretty disgusting at the time, and I'm very proud that I stood by him and I think it's very important that we talk about him in the days to come we remember that he was acquitted of all the criminal charges against him."

John Swinney was asked about Mr Salmond’s break with the SNP, and the “bitterness” that arose between Mr Salmond and his protegee Ms Sturgeon in the last few years.

The First Minister told BBC Scotland: “Obviously, it’s been a very difficult few years, and there will be time to reflect on all of those issues in the days to come. But I think today, I think all of us can recognise the formidable contribution that Alex Salmond made.”

Mr Swinney said his relationship with Mr Salmond had become "more distant" since Mr Salmond lost his Westminster seat in 2017. 

Asked if he regretted not being able to mend that relationship, the First Minister said: "I saw Alex over this summer. We met at an event in Edinburgh, and he congratulated me on my election as First Minister, and we talked at that moment about the experience of being First Minister."