Nicola Sturgeon apologises over letter of support for fraudster

Published on Wednesday 24 February 2010 14:58

DEPUTY First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today apologised after conceding she got "some things wrong" in a letter to a court in support of a convicted fraudster.

• Alex Salmond listens as Ms Sturgeon addresses MSPs

Ms Sturgeon had urged the court to consider alternatives to jail for benefits cheat Abdul Rauf.

She told Holyrood today she had acted in "good faith" to assist one of her constituents but accepted that she should not have asked the court to consider alternatives to a jail sentence.

Ms Sturgeon also said she regretted using the word "mistake" to describe Rauf's offence, which involved defrauding tens of thousands of pounds from the Department of Work and Pensions.

She told MSPs: "In short, I assisted a constituent in good faith and for what I considered to be the right reasons, but in doing so I did get some things wrong and for that I am sorry."

Opposition politicians criticised Ms Sturgeon's judgement after it emerged she had written to Glasgow Sheriff Court in support of Rauf.

She said today it was "entirely appropriate" for her to write to the court in her role as MSP for Glasgow Govan to draw its attention to Rauf's circumstances.

But she added: "However, having read many times over the letter that I wrote in this case, I believe that in certain respects it could and it should have been written differently."

Ms Sturgeon was flanked by First Minister Alex Salmond – who has already given his deputy his "110% support" – as she made her statement to Holyrood this afternoon.

She went on to say: "I regret the use of the word 'mistake' to describe Mr Rauf's offence."

The Deputy First Minister said she "did not intend in any way to downplay the seriousness of the crime that had been committed".

But she added: "I accept that the use of the word 'mistake' was open to that interpretation."

She continued: "Having drawn the court's attention to Mr Rauf's personal circumstances, I should have left it there.

"I should not have gone on to specifically ask the court to consider alternatives to custody. On reflection, that was a request more suited to my former occupation as a solicitor than to my current job as an MSP."

In her letter Ms Sturgeon said that both Rauf and his wife were worried about the impact a jail sentence would have on his health and his family.

She wrote: "I would appeal to the court to take the points raised here into account and consider alternatives to a custodial sentence."

Today, Ms Sturgeon said: "With hindsight, I think I allowed myself to be too influenced by the likely impact of Mr Rauf's actions on his family and that led me to write a letter that was not as carefully worded as it should have been."

Ms Sturgeon recalled she had first met Rauf when he came to one of her constituency surgeries in July last year, but she added it was only at the start of this month he had asked if she would write a letter for the court to consider when sentencing.

Ms Sturgeon said that Rauf had told her about his previous conviction for fraud.

She explained that, in the light of earlier discussions with him about his efforts to repay the money "and for absolutely no other reason whatsoever", she had decided to to go ahead and write the letter.

Ms Sturgeon did that the day after being requested to do so, although when Rauf appeared at court sentence was put back for a further three months.

The Deputy First Minister said while she had asked the court to consider alternatives to jail, her letter "did not recommended a particular sentence".

She also stated: "The letter did not, as some have suggested, condone the serious criminal offence of fraud. Nor did it suggest that Mr Rauf should not be punished for his crime."

Ms Sturgeon argued her role as a Scottish Government minister did not absolve her from her duty to represent her constituents.

She said: "I believe that when a constituent asks for my help it is my duty to make such representations as I am asked to make, so long as those representations are reasonable, legitimate and appropriate."

The Deputy First Minister said she had "thought very long and hard" about the matter over the past few days. She also disclosed the period since the row erupted had "not been the easiest" for her.

However, she stated: "I believe that the first and overriding duty of an MSP is to represent their constituents.

"I also believe that it would be wrong for any of us to decide what help to give or not to give a constituent, simply on the basis of how it might later look for us.

"I will learn the lessons of the past days and I will try to make better decisions as a result of them.

"But I will also continue to represent my constituents without fear or favour and seek to do so to the very best of my ability. Because that – above all else – is the job I was elected to do."