Salmond inquiry wants to haul the SNP chief executive Peter Murrell back for another grilling to 'provide entirely truthful answers' after 'inconsistencies' emerged
Members of the committee conducting the Alex Salmond inquiry want to recall the SNP's chief executive, Peter Murrell, after a car crash evidence session last week.
The call was first made by Inverness-born MSP Murdo Fraser after he accused Mr Murrell not just of contradicting himself and his wife, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon after a number of apparent "inconsistencies" in his evidence.
The committee is examining the Scottish Government’s handling of harassment complaints against the former First Minister, who was cleared of several charges of sexual assault in March after a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.
The alleged inconsistencies include Mr Murrell claiming not to have WhatsApp only for it to emerge that he used the messaging service last month.
In perhaps the most damning example, he said that meetings between Ms Sturgeon and Mr Salmond were not party business therefore not his direct concern – but the First Minister had told parliament that it was party business.
Answering a question from Mr Fraser, Mr Murrell said: “The issue that was raised with Nicola [Sturgeon] at the time was a Scottish government matter and Scottish government business is not for me.”
However, Ms Sturgeon had previously told Holyrood back in January: “The fact that I had no role in the government process is why it would not have been appropriate for the meetings to be government meetings.”
Mr Fraser said: “In a shambolic evidence session, Peter Murrell managed to contradict not only Nicola Sturgeon but himself, all in the space of a few hours.
“His answers were sleekit from start to finish. One minute he was in the house for a crunch showdown with Alex Salmond, then he wasn’t. He knew about the meeting beforehand, then he didn’t.
“He told the committee he is one of the few people not to have WhatsApp – only for it to emerge he used it a few weeks ago. He tied himself in knots answering the simplest of questions and spoke in riddles.
“The SNP chief executive must return to the committee to clear up the contradictions in his evidence and this time, provide entirely truthful answers.”
