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Sturgeon apologises to women failed by Salmond investigation

First minister under pressure to answer claims she misled parliament over harassment inquiry
Nicola Sturgeon has apologised directly to the two women who were failed by the Scottish government’s investigation into their sexual harassment complaints against Alex Salmond, but denied there was any plot against the former first minister.
Sturgeon is under intense pressure to answer multiple allegations that she misled parliament as she gives evidence to the inquiry into her government’s handling of the complaints, after previously secret legal advice and new witness evidence released on Tuesday evening led to calls for her resignation as first minister.
Giving evidence to the inquiry last Friday, Salmond said there was “no doubt” that Sturgeon had broken the ministerial code on multiple occasions.
Commencing her evidence session under oath on Wednesday morning, Sturgeon accepted her government had made a “very serious mistake” in appointing as the investigating officer into the allegations a senior official who had previously met and briefed the two complainers.
She said her government had “tried to do the right thing”, and that it was an “absurd suggestion that anyone acted with malice or as part of a plot against Alex Salmond”. She told MSPs: “As first minister, I refused to follow the age-old pattern of allowing a powerful man to use his status and connection to get what he wants.”
Sturgeon also told the inquiry that while his acquittal on 13 sexual assault charges in March 2020 was “beyond question”, she knew from her own conversations with Salmond that “his behaviour was not always appropriate”.
She said she had searched his testimony on Friday for “any sign at all that he recognised how difficult this has been for others too. First and foremost for women who believed his behaviour towards them was inappropriate. And yet across six hours of testimony, there was not a single word of regret, reflection or even simple acknowledgement of that. I can only hope that in private the reality might be different.”
She also addressed in her early remarks one of the key charges levelled against her by her former mentor, about when she first learned about the allegations. Salmond, supported by two other witnesses, claimed she was told about them by his former chief of staff Geoff Aberdein in her office on 29 March 2018. Sturgeon had previously told Holyrood and the media she first learned of them from Salmond himself, at their meeting at her home on 2 April.
Sturgeon said that while Aberdein had indicated Salmond wanted to speak to her about a “harassment-type incident”, this was “in general terms”, and what she recalled most from the conversation was how concerned Aberdein had been about Salmond’s wellbeing.
She said the meeting with Salmond at her home on 2 April was when she fully grasped the nature of the allegations. She said Salmond asked her to read a letter he had been sent by the head of the civil service, Leslie Evans, which detailed the accusations.
“Reading that letter is a moment in my life I will never forget,” she told the committee. She said Salmond went on the tell her his version of what happened with one of the complainers: “What he described constituted in my view was deeply inappropriate on his part.”
However, she also said had she been fully informed of the allegation at the 29 March meeting, her actions would not necessarily have been different.
She said: “Given what I was told about the distress Alex was in, and how it was suggested to me that he might be intending to handle matters, it is likely that I would have still agreed to meet him – as his friend and as his party leader.”
She added: “My decision not to record the meeting on 2 April immediately wasn’t about the classification I gave it, not about it being a party rather than a government meeting, it was because I did not want to compromise the independence of the confidentiality of the process under way.”
Sturgeon also denied the new sexual harassment policy was “bespoke” and designed to apply to Alex Salmond because it was drafted to include complaints about former ministers: “To see it in that way really ignores what was happening globally
In her opening statement, Sturgeon also told the committee she did not intervene in the process of the Scottish government’s investigation into harassment complaints against Salmond as doing so would have been an “abuse” of her role.
In a letter to a Holyrood committee, also released on Tuesday evening, one of Salmond’s lawyers, Duncan Hamilton, backed the former first minister’s claim that Sturgeon had offered to intervene in the initial investigation on Salmond’s behalf in a private meeting at her home on 2 April 2018.
source: Libby Brooks
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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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