Alex Salmond is launching a fresh £3m legal action against the Scottish government over its botched handling of sexual harassment complaints against the former first minister.
The Herald reports that the former Scottish National party leader has lodged a petition at the court of session alleging “misfeasance” by various past civil servants, with a hearing relating to the civil action taking place on Thursday.
A statement from Salmond, who is now leader of the Alba party, is expected later on Friday.
Salmond has long threatened further action after he successfully challenged the Scottish government over its handling of the original allegations made against him by two female civil servants in early 2018.
Those initial complaints were upheld by an internal government investigation, but this was struck out by a judge after a legal challenge from Salmond. He was awarded £512,250 in legal costs after a judicial review in 2019 ruled the inquiry was unlawful and “tainted by apparent bias”.
Salmond was acquitted of 14 charges of sexual assault, including one of attempted rape and charges based on the original complaints, after a criminal trial in Edinburgh in March 2020.
This resulted in a parliamentary inquiry in the spring of 2021 into the handling of the complaints in which the then permanent secretary of the Scottish government, Leslie Evans, was singled out for heavy criticism.
In a separate investigation concurrent with that inquiry, the former Scottish first minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon was cleared of breaching the ministerial code over her dealings with Salmond.
Since the trial, a number of the women who made complaints against Salmond have described their vilification on social media and fears for their personal safety, while dismissing claims by Salmond and his supporters that the charges resulted from a conspiracy driven by figures close to Sturgeon.
Salmond admitted in his own evidence at trial that he should have been “more careful with people’s personal space”, and acknowledged having a “sleepy cuddle” with one complainant, though he successfully argued against the claims made against him.
A Scottish government spokesperson said: “It would not be appropriate to comment on live litigation.”
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