Nicola Sturgeon faces questions over when she knew of allegations against Alex Salmond

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is facing questions over when she knew of allegations of sexual misconduct against her predecessor Alex Salmond.

The SNP leader told the Scottish Parliament she was informed of complaints against Mr Salmond on 2 April 2018, when he himself told her.

But new claims have emerged that she was informed during a meeting four days earlier, according to Sky News.

Mr Salmond has always denied the allegations against him.

Earlier this year he was acquitted of all charges of sexual assault in a criminal trial, prompting allies to suggest he was the victim of a witch-hunt within his own party.

At issue in the latest row is what Ms Sturgeon knew of a Scottish government inquiry into allegations against the former first minister and when.

One account of a meeting Ms Sturgeon attended on 29 March 2018, seen by Sky News, indicates the complaints against Mr Salmond were discussed then.

Also at the meeting was Geoff Aberdein, Mr Salmond's former chief of staff, as well as a government official.

Sky News reported that the account it had seen stated: "The conversation was around the fact of the complaints, without discussing the specifics of them.

"There was discussion about the investigation, the process of it, the fact it was a civil service investigation being conducted by civil servants." Christine Jardine, Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, said: "What we have now are concerns about inconsistencies in what we've been told, and what we need is to know whether the first minister deliberately, or by mistake, misled parliament.”

A Scottish government spokesman said that Ms Sturgeon stood by her statement to the Scottish Parliament.

Later this year a cross-party Holyrood committee will start calling witnesses to give evidence in its inquiry into the Scottish government's 2018 investigation.

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