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| - Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon misled a parliamentary committee investigating an explosive sexual harassment scandal against her predecessor, Alex Salmond, it found Tuesday. But the panel deferred to another probe that said she did not breach the ministerial code, a decision which has staved off calls for her to quit and may clear the way for her to lead her party in elections in May. The row involving two of the biggest names in the independence movement has dominated Scottish politics, with indications it has undermined support for the country to go its own way. Sturgeon's Scottish National Party (SNP) is hoping that a strong showing at elections for the Edinburgh parliament will bolster its case for a second referendum on going its own way. Salmond, who was first minister from 2007 to 2014, was cleared of all charges at a criminal trial last year, and says the accusations were politically motivated by his successor's team. He accused Sturgeon, his former friend and protegee, of a failure of leadership, charging that she breached the ministerial code governing behaviour and conduct. Before the criminal trial, a civil court found the government probe into the complaints was unlawful and "tainted by apparent bias". Salmond, 66, was awarded more than £500,000 ($699,000) in legal costs. Sturgeon was on Monday cleared of breaching the ministerial code during the initial probe, after an investigation by a senior lawyer. But the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints committee said separately Tuesday she had misled them, ruling in a majority decision there was a "fundamental contradiction in the evidence" she gave. It was investigating what she knew and when about the allegations, her government's handling of the complaints, and whether she offered to intervene in the case. "Her written evidence is therefore an inaccurate account of what happened, and she has misled the Committee on this matter," lawmakers concluded. The SNP say the committee's findings were stacked against her by an opposition majority on the panel. The opposition Conservative party in the Scottish parliament are pushing ahead with a vote of no confidence in Sturgeon, although it is likely to fail, as the Scottish Greens have said they will not support it. The pro-independence party hopes the conclusions will lift the cloud hanging over their leader and put the independence push back on track after recent polls show fading public support following the SNP government's botched case against Salmond. Bidding to turn the page, SNP Constitution Secretary Michael Russell on Monday outlined the party's aim of holding a second referendum on independence from the United Kingdom by the end of 2023. A previous vote in 2014 saw Scots opt to remain part of the union, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly refused to allow a second referendum. If a majority in the Scottish Parliament supports another plebiscite after the May elections, there will be "no democratic justification whatsoever" for London to block it, Russell said. jwp/phz/wdb
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