ALEX Salmond will face no further criminal investigation into allegations about his conduct after the Metropolitan Police dropped complaints linked to his time as an MP, it is being reported.
Detectives in London were passed claims by Police Scotland during their investigation into the former First Minister. Salmond was later cleared at the High Court in Edinburgh of 13 charges of sexual assault.
Four women had also made complaints to officers in Scotland about his alleged behaviour in London. One of the allegations was being considered for prosecution but after officers discussed the case with the woman involved it was decided that it would not be pursued.
Last night the Met confirmed to The Times, who have spoken to the woman at the centre of the claims, that complaints had been received in January 2019 and that one of the allegations was considered for prosecution.
“Specialist officers launched a review of the information to ascertain if any criminal offences had been committed within the Metropolitan Police district,” a spokeswoman told the paper. “In consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service no further action was taken in relation to the information provided.
“The complainant was contacted by officers. Following this contact, the investigation was not proceeded with and no further action was taken.”
READ MORE: Alex Salmond probe begins with apology from Leslie Evans
“In March 2020, the Metropolitan Police Service carried out a further review of the information and one allegation of crime was recorded.”
Salmond, 65, was MP for Banff & Buchan from 1987 to 2010 and for Gordon from 2015 to 2017.
The former First Minister was cleared of alleged sexual offences by a High Court jury in March this year.
He declined to comment on the decision and has not spoken about any claims since his trial, saying that he will not do so until he gives evidence to Holyrood’s inquiry into the unlawful handling of complaints against him. That inquiry held its first evidence session yesterday, with Leslie Evans, Scotland’s most senior civil servant, denying that procedures were drawn up to “get” Salmond.
The women who were complainants in the trial were given personal alarms and offered security advice by the police after the verdict.
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