We Need To Talk About Alex (5)
Alex Massie's column in The Times to the heart of the unresolved issues in Alex Salmaond's court case following his acquittal over alleged sex crimes.
"Mr Salmond says he will, in due course, unleash those parts of his defence that his team were not permitted to place before the court. This will, he argues, allow the public a fuller understanding of the manner in which this case was built, laying bare the full extent of what he terms the “deliberate fabrications” of evidence against him made for “political purposes”. This too is a weighty, and even remarkable, charge against complainers who were, mostly, career civil servants or SNP officials working at the heart of the Scottish government.
"Perhaps Mr Salmond’s evidence will shed light on these matters. We must hope so. But perhaps it would also be good to know just why a “sleepy cuddle” between the first minister and a woman decades younger than him was simply an unfortunate episode. For that matter it would be good to know the basis upon which the civil service — as multiple witnesses attested — changed staffing rotas at Bute House to prevent female civil servants being alone with Mr Salmond late at night."
Read the full article via the link below to The Times.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/this-salmond-saga-is-nowhere-near-complete-jng5l7668
This Salmond saga is nowhere near complete
The former first minister is a free man. Now we must establish the detail of what the SNP leadership knew and when
Alex Massie - The Times
Alex Salmond has been acquitted by a jury of, if not his precise peers, his fellow Scots. Over ten days the jury heard and weighed the evidence against him and returned a decisive verdict. On 12 counts, including one of attempted rape, Mr Salmond is not guilty. A further count of sexual assault with intent to rape has been found not proven. He is a free man; an innocent man.
The Crown brought 13 charges against Mr Salmond, based on the testimony of nine women. Each of these nine women have misremembered or, according to Mr Salmond, in some cases fabricated their experiences at his hands. In the latter instances, we must assume the former first minister believes some of the complainers have perjured themselves in the High Court.
@alexmassie
