THE anti-harassment policy which led to a botched governmental investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by Alex Salmond was supported by Nicola Sturgeon, official documents revealed today.

Published by the Scottish government, the documents show the First Minister and her staff ensured the policy would apply to former ministers as well as serving ones. 

Conversations and other details feature in a collection of documents shared publicly ahead of an investigation into the government’s handling of an in-house probe of two sexual misconduct complaints made against Mr Salmond in 2018. 

The affair cost the taxpayer around £500,000, with the government admitting last year that the inquiry had been “unfair and unlawful” after Mr Salmond was acquitted by the Court of Session. 

The former SNP leader and first minister was also separately cleared of 13 sexual assault charges in court this March. 

A cross-party group of MSPs is currently looking into what went wrong in the 2018 governmental probe, including whether Ms Sturgeon broke the ministerial code. 

There are questions over Ms Sturgeon’s conduct as it has been reported that she remained in contact with her predecessor throughout the time when her own officials were investigating the allegations against him. 

The latest documents released to the public were shared with the Scottish Parliament’s committee on the Scottish government handling of harassment complaints last month. 

They detail Ms Sturgeon telling a government official that she “wanted to make clear” that the harassment policy was not “constrained by the passage of time” and should include the “particular aspect” of former ministers.

A review of harassment policy was undertaken by the Scottish government in 2017, with the First Minister raising concerns following allegations of inappropriate conduct by politicians across Britain. 

Ms Sturgeon is said to have wanted to ensure that “all available steps” were being taken to protect staff. 

The government also shared a draft version of the policy with someone who would later lodge a complaint against Mr Salmond, before it had been finalised.

Despite concerns raised by a member of the Cabinet Office about the policy covering both current and former ministers, Ms Sturgeon signed off the changes in late 2017. 

The parliamentary committee is set to hear evidence from witnesses under oath when hearings begin next month.