News In Focus
25 February 2010
Sturgeon apologises for letter on behalf of fraudster
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has apologised for asking a court to consider alternatives to custody for a convicted fraudster.
Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament that she had acted in good faith but accepted that the wording of her letter was "wrong".
She had been accused by opposition parties of making a serious error of judgment in writing to Glasgow Sheriff Court on behalf of a constituent Abdul Rauf, who defrauded the Department of Work and Pensions of £80,000. In the letter, Ms Sturgeon suggested that 60-year-old Rauf might be spared prison on grounds of ill health.
In her statement to MSPs, Ms Sturgeon said she had given serious consideration to the criticisms levelled at her over the letter. "I do believe in certain respects it could, and should, have been written differently,” she said.
"I regret the use of the word 'mistake' to describe Mr Rauf's offence. As I hope will become clear from other parts of the letter, I did not intend to downplay the seriousness of the crime that had been committed.
"However, I accept the use of the word mistake was open to that interpretation."
Wrong request
The Deputy First Minister also said that, on reflection, she should not have asked the court to consider alternatives to custody.
"Having drawn the court's attention to Mr Rauf's personal circumstances, I should have left it there," she said.
"I should not have gone on to ask the court to specifically consider alternatives to custody. On reflection, that was a request more suited to my former occupation as a solicitor than to my current job as an MSP."
Ms Sturgeon added: "In short, I assisted a constituent in good faith and for what I considered to be the right reasons, but in doing so I did get some things wrong and for that I am sorry."
Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray said Ms Sturgeon's apology was "welcome" but called on her to withdraw her "letter of support" for Rauf.
Scottish Conservative leader Annabel Goldie praised Ms Sturgeon for admitting that she had made mistakes. "I thank her for her candour, and her humility and her courageous recognition that she didn't get everything right."