���˿���

Police are investigating whether a senior civil servant gave a false statement under oath to the Alex Salmond inquiry, a court has heard.

The Court of Session was told that detectives are probing evidence given to the inquiry in 2020 by James Hynd, who was the Scottish government's head of cabinet, parliament and governance at the time.

The inquiry was examining the handling of sexual harassment complaints made against the former first minister, who was later cleared of all of the charges against him in a separate criminal trial.

The inquiry, which was held by a committee of MSPs, concluded that the government investigation into Mr Salmond was “seriously flawed".

Mr Salmond has alleged that there was a conspiracy among senior SNP figures, including his successor as first minister Nicola Sturgeon, to imprison him. Ms Sturgeon has strongly denied the claim.

He is seeking "significant damages" and compensation for loss of earnings that could total millions of pounds.

That would be in addition to the £500,000 that Mr Salmond was awarded in legal costs after a judge said in 2019 that the government investigation into the allegations against him had been “unlawful in respect that they were procedurally unfair" and also "tainted with apparent bias".

Mr Salmond’s lawyer Gordon Dangerfield told the Court of Session on Friday that the Police Scotland investigation into Mr Hynd was called Operation Broadcroft and was being headed by a senior detective.

He also said that the investigation was looking into claims that a “very, very senior civil servant - Mr James Hynd - gave a false statement on oath at the inquiry”.

Mr Hynd was responsible for drawing up the government’s policy on the handling of complaints involving former and current ministers - the policy under which Mr Salmond was investigated.

The police inquiry into Mr Hynd’s conduct emerged during a court hearing in a civil case that Mr Salmond has brought against the Scottish government.

Mr Dangerfield asked for the civil case to be “sisted” - a legal expression for it to be paused – while the police investigation was ongoing.

Judge Lord Fairley refused the request after Scottish government lawyer Lesley Shand KC said the case had already been sisted three times since it was first raised in November last year.

She added: “There is a concern about the length of time that has passed since the events in question and there is a concern about the effect that will have on evidence and also on individuals who have this these allegations hanging over them in this summons.”

The Scottish government said it did not comment on individual employees.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We are investigating a complaint in relation to evidence provided to a Scottish Parliament committee.

"These inquiries are ongoing and we are unable to comment further.”