on 15 January 2019 at 04:30am David Clegg of The Daily Record, at that time, posted an article titled:
SNP 'MYSTERY MAN' SPEAKS OUT AMID SALMOND AND STURGEON 'SMEAR' CLAIMS."
According to David Clegg, Mr Geoff Aberdein the former Chief of Staff to Alex Salmond sent in a statement to The Daily Record.
Mr Aberdein sent in a statement to the very paper that previously leaked confidential information about his former boss? Why on earth would he do that?
The article is interesting in that it changes the date when Mr Aberdein was said to have learned the name of one of the complainers. The 'catch-up' meetings between Mr Aberdein and the other person were on 06 March 2018 and 09 March 2018. However Clegg's article states the following:
Liz Lloyd informed Salmond’s former chief of staff, Geoff Aberdein, in LATE MARCH last year that she thought civil servants had received an “official complaint” over the former first minister’s conduct.
Late March. If once was not enough Clegg then repeats it again this time apparently quoting from Mr Aberdein directly although strangely he does not provide his full statement in the article:
“Liz later confirmed at a meeting between her and I in LATE MARCH, again at her request, that she SUSPECTED the Scottish Government had received an official complaint about Mr Salmond.
“She made clear she did not know the full details of any potential complaint and had not alerted the First Minister to her SUSPICIONS about a potential complaint.”
The problem with that late March date is that it goes against the evidence of Alex Salmond, Kevin Pringle, Duncan Hamilton, Lorraine Kay and incredibly the previous testimony of Mr Aberdein himself.
Mr Aberdein, who now works as global head of public affairs and policy at Aberdeen Standard Investment, said that AFTER that "catch up" meeting on March 06, HE RECEIVED ANOTHER REQUEST TO MEET THE WOMAN.
He said: "A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER she CONTACTED ME AGAIN. I WAS SURPRISED BECAUSE WE SPOKE SO RECENTLY. SHE INFORMED ME that there were TWO RETROSPECTIVE COMPLAINTS ABOUT ALEX SALMOND."
He continued: "SHE WAS SEEKING TO MAKE ME AWARE, BUT, ALSO TO SEE IF ALEX SALMOND WAS AWARE OF THIS." Geoff Aberdein.
This is from a mainstream media article.
Strangely there is an article from The Guardian which provides the link to Geoff Aberdein's statement provided by David Clegg on Twitter something Clegg does not do in his own article, although that link no longer works and I have never come across anyone who has ever seen the full statement.
Both the articles from David Clegg and Severin Carrell mention late March and also mention that the person had suspicions. Why is that interesting? Below is parts of an article from Sky News.
Sky News has learned of claims that a Scottish government official asked to change an account of when they knew about harassment complaints against former first minister Alex Salmond.
They concern a senior official whom we are not identifying, but who works with the current First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Ms Sturgeon's political opponents have described the revelations as an "abuse of power" and a "clear attempt at a cover-up".
The official allegedly asked for a press statement to be changed and feared they faced consequences for their career if this was not done.
The statement was a record of a conversation they had been involved in. It indicated when, and what, they knew about complaints against Mr Salmond, which pre-dated the day that Ms Sturgeon says she was first informed.
The amendment request was allegedly made after a draft copy of the statement was sent to the Scottish government, prior to its publication.
Upon receipt, it is claimed the official contacted the author and asked for the record of when they said they "knew" of the complaints to be reduced to when they had a "SUSPICION" of them.
This is refuted by Ms Sturgeon, whose spokesperson has accused Mr Salmond of "spinning false conspiracy theories".
The involvement of the official, and their request for changes, is contained in a submission made to the ongoing Scottish Parliament inquiry into the government's handling of harassment complaints against Mr Salmond.
Sky News has spoken to FOUR PEOPLE FAMILIAR WITH THE CONTENT OF THE SUBMISSION, which has not been made public.
ALL OF THE SOURCES CORROBORATE THE DETAILS OF THE OFFICIAL'S REQUEST TO CHANGE THE ACCOUNT OF WHAT THEY SAID.
It seems unlike the feeble and pathetic excuses we have for a media in Scotland, the Committee told this official to take a hike.
I believe it is in the public interest to read the full statement of Mr Geoff Aberdein that he is said to have handed into The Daily Record. I suspect the article by David Clegg and repeated by others is a deliberate attempt to try and muddy the waters on behalf of the woman who set up the meetings. Could this person have even convinced Mr Aberdein himself to change his account on her behalf? Regardless, the late March date given in these articles is contrary to the other evidence out there which pins it down as early March.
John Smythe Investigates 