Scottish government discounted legal advice to give up fight with Salmond
March 6, 2021, 12:11 pm

Scottish government discounted legal advice to give up fight with Salmond

Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney arrive for first minister’s questions at Holyrood.

Latest documents to be released reveal former first minister had Nicola Sturgeon ‘in the crosshairs’

Legal advice to concede in the court battle with Alex Salmond was “discounted” by senior figures in the Scottish government, including the first minister, according to newly released documents which also reveal a stark warning that the former first minister had his successor, Nicola Sturgeon, “in the crosshairs”.

The latest documents to be released to the Holyrood inquiry into the handling of sexual harassment complaints against Salmond include a joint note from external counsel on 17 December 2018, several weeks before the government finally conceded in the judicial review of the process brought by Salmond.

In it, barrister Roddy Dunlop QC and solicitor advocate Christine O’Neill state they are “unable to see that the benefits in proceeding come close to meeting the potential detriments in doing so. Given the potential for harm we simply wish all concerned – and we include the first minister in this – to be absolutely certain that they wish us to plough on regardless.”

The note also described Salmond’s approach to the case as “scorched earth”, adding: “It is clear that there is no concern on his part as to who might be criticised or harmed as a result of these proceedings. We understand that this is well understood by those ‘in the crosshairs’ – most obviously the permanent secretary and the first minister.”

Despite two votes in parliament, some of the legal advice given to the Scottish government about Salmond’s judicial review, which it lost at a cost of more than £600,000 to taxpayers, was only released to the committee on Tuesday evening, the day before Sturgeon appeared before it, after the Scottish Conservatives threatened a no-confidence vote in the deputy first minister, John Swinney.

The papers released on Tuesday contained the revelation that Dunlop, one of Scotland’s leading lawyers, had been furious that government officials had failed to disclose critical evidence about the prior contact of the investigating officer with the two complainants.

Sturgeon said in her evidence on Wednesday there was “no question” that the case should be dropped until this new evidence emerged, and that the government was acting in accordance with the views of the law officers at the time.

Under continuing pressure from opposition parties, Swinney published a further set of documents on Thursday and Friday afternoons.

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said the latest revelations were “devastating”, adding: “The first minister’s position is more unstable than ever”. He said the party would set out soon how they plan to proceed with two outstanding votes of no confidence: the first against Swinney and the second against Sturgeon.

Scottish Labour deputy leader and committee member Jackie Baillie said the documents told of “‘entirely avoidable’ errors and mention that officials and lawyers were put in ‘extremely difficult’ professional positions due to the failings of the government. The Scottish government should be ashamed of the catastrophic errors it made in this case; errors that failed the taxpayer and most importantly the women involved.”

Releasing the documents, Swinney insisted that the documents “utterly disprove the conspiracy theory that the Scottish government delayed the concession of the judicial review or ignored advice from counsel, or that there was a plot against Mr Salmond”.

“These documents demonstrate that the case became unstateable in late December and the Scottish Government conceded quickly afterwards in early January”.

An earlier note from 6-7 December 2018 reveals that Sturgeon and Leslie Evans questioned Dunlop’s advice that conceding was the “least worst option”, and another note a few days later on 10 December shows that the external counsel said they had considered “very seriously whether we were bound to withdraw from acting”. Sturgeon was asked on Wednesday about Salmond’s claim that the Scottish government conceded the case only when counsel threatened to resign, but replied, “That is not my understanding of the position”.

source: Libby Brooks

Levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.