Alex Salmond inquiry: MSPs set to scrutinise 'absolutely devastating' SNP messages
The committee, which is examining the botched handling of harassment complaints against former first minister Salmond, will scrutinise the material during a private session today before deciding whether to make them public.
It follows the inquiry’s decision to invoke never-before-used powers, demanding the Crown Office release WhatsApp messages sent between the SNP’s chief operating officer Sue Ruddick and other members of the SNP and Scottish Government between August 2018 and January 2019.
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Hide AdMSPs also demanded documents relating to details of complaints being leaked to the Daily Record in August 2018.
Mr Salmond was acquitted of sexual offence charges in a trial last year and was handed £500,000 in legal costs after successfully challenging the Scottish Government’s complaints process via judicial review after it was conceded on the grounds of being “tainted by apparent bias”.
Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP have repeatedly been accused of conspiring against Mr Salmond for their own political gains and the messages are viewed as a potential window into whether there is any truth in the allegations.
However, a source familiar with the content of the messages – if published in full – say they could damage Mr Salmond more than the First Minister.
They said: “The content of these messages is absolutely devastating for Alex Salmond. They show women who are fearful, anxious and upset and are looking to each other for support.
"Mr Salmond may want to use this material to promote his absurd conspiracy theories by cherry-picking bits of it, but he will absolutely not want people to see the full content.”
Alex Cole-Hamilton, the Liberal Democrat member on the committee, said any “conspiratorial messages” should be published.
He said: "The most important thing is to protect complainers and victims, but conspiratorial messages which have nothing to do with victim's identities should be fair game for publication.
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Hide Ad"What we are looking to establish from these messages, apparently from the Vietnam group, is the veracity of claims that there was a conspiracy to get Alex Salmond within the high command of the SNP."
Scottish Conservative spokesman on the Salmond inquiry, Murdo Fraser, said “full transparency” was required for the committee to fulfil its remit.
He said: "The committee should aim for all material to be made public, conditional on preserving the women's anonymity.
"Full transparency is the only way people can learn the entire ugly truth of this sordid affair.
"The First Minister is clearly rattled as the walls close in, but she must heed the warning of legal academics and leading commentators.
"This has become bigger than a nasty SNP civil war. It is now about public trust in the integrity of Scottish politics."
Jackie Baillie, Scottish Labour's spokesperson on the committee, said: “There is huge public interest in what is going on in the committee and the committee should seek to publish as much as possible.”
Responding on Friday to the request by the committee, the Crown Office said it considered the public interest of “maintaining trust and confidence in law enforcement authorities” with the committee asked to “give careful consideration” when deciding whether to publish the material.