Alba leader calls for public inquiry into Alex Salmond 'conspiracy'
MacAskill, who served under Salmond as justice secretary, told Go Radio: 'I think there has to be an inquiry because what happened to Alex Salmond was fundamentally wrong.
'I think what we are seeing is obfuscation, to put it mildly, by the Scottish Government. There can be no cover up in Holyrood or in St Andrew's House.
'We require to know who did what, what was done, if that impacts upon Alex so be it, but I don't believe it does. I believe it will vindicate him because a manifest injustice was done towards him.'
Asked whether Sturgeon was a part of a conspiracy against Salmond, MacAskill (above) added: 'I believe so. There was a political conspiracy to do down Alex Salmond.
'I have no doubt that was a factor in his early death. He wasn't even 70 but what he had to endure.
'But he was vindicated in the civil courts with the Scottish Government chastised in the highest court in our land and in the criminal court a jury of his peers exculpated him.'
Sturgeon has previously denied claims she orchestrated a conspiracy to bring down her one-time mentor.
READ MORE: Tony Blair's staff took part in 'Gaza Riviera' project, reports say
She has faced questions in the past about her involvement with the sexual harassment claims against Salmond which eventually led to his criminal trial.
Salmond was handed a legal victory in a civil case against the Scottish Government over claims of sexual harassment which a court found to be 'tainted with apparent bias' because the person investigating the complaints had had contact with the complainers prior to the probe.
He was later cleared of 14 charges – sexual and indecent assault and intent to rape – in March 2020.
At the time of his death, Salmond (above) was pursuing the Scottish Government for damages of £3 million due to the botched investigation of sexual harassment complaints against him.
Speaking in Parliament in 2019, Sturgeon said: 'It seems to me that I am being simultaneously accused of being involved in a conspiracy against Alex Salmond, and also of colluding with Alex Salmond.
'Nothing could be further from the truth in both of those - neither of those things are true.
'Since I found out about the investigation I have tried to do the right thing in a situation which, no matter what happened, was never going to be easy for me.'
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Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Former Scottish sub-postmasters have called for immediate redress for their suffering at the hands of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, after a landmark report condemned the 'disastrous' impact on hundreds of people who were wrongfully convicted and the anguish and losses endured by thousands of others. 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