London — Former Scottish leader Alex Salmond has been arrested and charged with an unspecified offense, Scottish authorities and media said Thursday. Police Scotland confirmed “a 64-year-old man has been arrested and charged” and a report sent to prosecutors. Media outlets identified the arrested man as Salmond.
Police released the statement in response to a request for information about Salmond. They declined to name the man or release further details before a court appearance, expected later Thursday.
Salmond stepped down as leader of the governing Scottish National Party in August after sexual harassment allegations were made by two women. Salmond strongly denies the claims and sued the Scottish government over its handling of them.
Scotland’s highest civil court ruled earlier this month that the way the Scottish government handled the allegations against Salmond was unlawful, but that didn’t derail the police investigation into the harassment allegations.
Salmond led the pro-independence SNP for 20 years and headed Scotland’s semi-autonomous government as first minister, from 2007 to 2014. A big figure on the Scottish political stage for decades, he led the 2014 referendum campaign for Scottish independence — a vote won by his opponents on the “remain” side.
