Another month, another scandal involving Police Scotland.

Alison McInnes has called for an enquiry that could see senior police officers and government ministers  brought before a Holyrood committee to provide answers on Police Scotland’s involvement in accessing the communications data of journalists without judicial approval. 

Alison has written to Convenor Christine Grahame to ask that the parliamentary committee investigate the claims. If agreed, an inquiry could result in senior figures from Police Scotland and the Scottish Government being asked to provide evidence.

It emerged last month that two un-named UK police forces had been involved in spying on journalists and their sources.

The Sunday Herald newspaper has claimed that Police Scotland is one of those forces and yesterday an investigative journalist told BBC Scotland he believes the national force may have been monitoring his communications illegally.

Police Scotland and the Scottish Government have refused to confirm or deny the claims.

In a letter to the Policing Sub-Committee Convenor, Ms McInnes said:

Reports that Police Scotland has been involved in illegally spying on journalists threaten to sour public trust in our public institutions.

The refusal of the national force and Scottish Government to confirm or deny Police Scotland’s involvement in this matter will only fuel concerns about a conspiracy of silence. 

I am writing to ask that the Policing Sub-Committee undertake a full inquiry into these allegations in order to ascertain Police Scotland’s involvement. This would allow both ministers and Police Scotland bosses to set the record straight.

Our police officers play a vital role in keeping us safe but I am sure that you will agree that they are not above the law.

The rules around accessing communications data were changed under the last UK government for good reason.

A free press is vital to holding the powerful to account. It is the duty of parliament to hold those in public office to account.