Findlay: Swinney is grasping at straws over documents detailing Sturgeon probe

Russell Findlay has accused John Swinney of “grasping at straws” over why he chose to defy an order from Scotland’s transparency watchdog to release documents relating to an investigation into former first minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The Scottish Tory leader said the move by the Scottish Government did not surprise him because the SNP was “addicted to secrecy”.

For the first time in the history of the post, Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton announced on Friday he had instructed solicitors to begin proceedings against the Government at the Court of Session.

The commissioner had previously given the Government until January 15 to respond to a request to release documents relating to the probe by James Hamilton KC into potential breaches of the ministerial code by former first minister Nicola Sturgeon during the investigation into her predecessor, Alex Salmond.

A subsequent deadline was set for Thursday, with Mr Hamilton threatening legal action if the documents were not published, but the deadline was again missed by ministers.

Speaking to the Press Association earlier this week, John Swinney said the Government would release the files but had not done so yet to ensure it did not breach court orders to ensure the identities of those people who complained about alleged sexual assault were protected.

Asked about the First Minister’s comments, Mr Findlay told the PA news agency: “This doesn’t surprise me. We’ve got an SNP Scottish Government that has become addicted to secrecy.

“There’s a culture of hostility towards transparency. At every turn they will seek to misuse taxpayers’ money to throw up barriers in defiance of freedom of information.”

He accused the SNP of “trampling” on freedom of information laws.

He added: “Instead of acting in good faith, they continually seek to find novel ways – and expensive ways – because they use taxpayers money to do so, to put a barrier in the way of the release of information.

“This is another example of that, and they should, they should stop it right now and adhere to the ruling that’s been made.”

Mr Findlay rejected Mr Swinney’s reason not to release the information, saying: “The information commissioner and public bodies deal with freedom of information requests every day of the week in which these considerations are made, assessed and applied.

“So, it sounds to me that John Swinney is grasping at straws.

“It sounds to me like they are well used to dealing with sensitive inquiries of this nature and, if they wanted to do so, they could do so but, instead, they’re using even more taxpayers’ money to seek to suppress this information and keep it from the paying public.”

Mr Hamilton was appointed to investigate Ms Sturgeon’s conduct in relation to the probe into allegations of abuse by two civil servants against Mr Salmond.

Ms Sturgeon was found to have breached the ministerial code unknowingly and remained in the top job.

The Government has been resistant in recent years to release documents relating to the inquiry under freedom of information legislation, appealing an earlier decision by the information commissioner to the Court of Session on another tranche of documents.

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.