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Scottish government to release legal advice on Salmond court action

Move comes after it emerged deputy first minister, John Swinney, faced cross-party censure
John Swinney, Scotland’s deputy first minister, has agreed to release his government’s legal advice on Alex Salmond’s court action after facing cross-party censure in Holyrood.
Swinney told the Holyrood committee investigating the Salmond controversy on Monday night it would get the advice on Tuesday afternoon, after it emerged all four opposition parties would back a Conservative no-confidence motion in him tabled for later on Tuesday.
It remains unclear whether the advice will be released publicly once it has been given to the committee. Swinney told MSPs he had agreed, because of the “exceptional circumstances”, he would release the papers “to the committee and for publication” but the Tories accused him of prevarication.
The Tories said the advice should be published for everyone to see, and would not lift the threat of a no-confidence vote until they had seen what Swinney did and how extensive the disclosures were.
“The deputy first minister is not in the clear yet,” said Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tory leader. “He must go further and fully publish the legal advice or we will not hesitate to force him out.”
The legal advice, written in October 2018 by one of Scotland’s most senior lawyers, Roddy Dunlop QC, is said to have warned the government it was likely to lose Salmond’s legal challenge over its flawed internal inquiry into sexual harassment complaints against him.
It had emerged the civil servant who led that inquiry had spoken to both women before they made their complaints official, briefing them on the new anti-harassment policy before it was complete and approved.
That apparent conflict of interest led to Salmond winning his court challenge in early January 2019, when the government conceded its inquiry was flawed, unlawful and had the appearance of bias.
Dunlop, now dean of the Faculty of Advocates, the ruling body for advocates, Scotland’s equivalent to a barrister, and his junior, are said to have threatened resignation later in 2018 because Leslie Evans, the government’s permanent secretary, was refusing to concede.
After rejecting two previous demands by Holyrood to do so, Swinney said he would release that advice to the committee in part to counter inaccurate allegations about what it said.
“The very integrity of the legal system is being questioned,” he said. “Serious allegations have been made. This material allows people to confirm that these allegations are false.”
With Nicola Sturgeon due to give evidence on oath to the committee on Wednesday morning, the relevance of that advice intensified sharply when Salmond testified last week that Sturgeon was involved in discussions about what to do with it.
Salmond told the committee: “Everything about that legal advice,even how it has been described in terms, suggests that, on the balance of probabilities, it indicated that the government was about to lose.
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Salmond suggested Sturgeon could be guilty of a breach of the ministerial code if that advice was ignored, because it increased the legal costs and delay. Salmond was eventually awarded £512,000 in legal costs, a substantial figure calculated partly to reflect the fact the government had unnecessarily prolonged the court action.
The committee is again questioning the lord advocate, James Wolffe QC, on Tuesday morning, along with crown agent David Harvie.
Wolffe began his evidence by robustly rejecting cover-up claims, including assertions from Salmond last week, allegations from some opposition MSPs and on social media, or that the Crown Office had been politically influenced or biased in its decisions.
Salmond is furious the Crown Office refuses to release evidence he says proves collusion by senior figures in the Scottish National party to get him prosecuted, and also that it asked Holyrood to heavily edit one of his submissions.
Wolffe said all Crown Office decisions were based on the law, and independent of any outside influence. He said David Harvie, the crown agent who is the Crown Office’s head of prosecutions, was an “exceptional public servant” and a man of utmost integrity.
“Any suggestion from any quarter that the Crown’s decision making has at any time been influenced by political considerations or improper motivations would be wholly without foundation. Insinuations and assertions to the contrary are baseless,” he said.
source: Severin Carrell
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
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.
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