Here's the reaction from the Scottish government's permanent secretary Leslie Evanspublished at 12:00 Greenwich Mean Time 8 January 2019
Image source, bbcThe Scottish government's permanent secretary, Leslie Evans, apologised for the failure to properly apply the procedures
Speaking after the case was resolved, the Scottish government's most senior civil servant, Leslie Evans, said she wanted to "apologise to all involved for the failure in the proper application of this one particular part of the procedure".
But she insisted: "There is nothing to suggest that the investigating officer did not conduct their duties in an impartial way.
"Unfortunately, the interactions with the complainants in advance of the complaints being made meant that the process was flawed, however impartially and fairly the investigating officer conducted the investigation."
Ms Evans stressed that it was "right and proper that these complaints were investigated", and that the "procedural flaw in the investigation does not have implications, one way or the other, for the substance of the complaints or the credibility of the complainers".
And she said it was open to the Scottish government to re-investigate the complaints, adding that "subject to the views of the complainants, it would be our intention to consider this".
But Ms Evans said this would "only be once ongoing police inquiries have concluded".
