Scottish Minister Under Fire

Calls have been made for Scotland's deputy first minister to quit office, after it was revealed she provided a character reference for a benefit fraudster facing prison.

Nicola Sturgeon has defended her actions, insisted she was "duty-bound" as a Member of the Scottish Parliament to make "reasonable representations" on behalf of 60-year-old Abdul Rauf.

He defrauded more than £80,000 from the Department for Work and Pensions, after failing to declare an Edinburgh property holding worth £200,000 on an income support application.

Mr Rauf subsequently received £650 a month in rent while he claimed benefits between 2001 and 2006.

Meanwhile, he was living in a £400,000 house in Glasgow's Maxwell Park area.

Iain Gray, the leader of Scottish Labour, branded Ms Sturgeon's decision to represent Mr Rauf an "appalling error of judgement".

Mr Gray said she should resign as the Government's deputy first minister.

"If the facts of the case are as they appear and Nicola Sturgeon made such an appalling error of judgment, she must resign."

In a letter to Glasgow Sheriff Court, Ms Sturgeon pointed out the defendant had paid back £27,000 of the money owed, and was in the process of selling property in order to clear the outstanding balance.

She called on the court not to pass a custodial sentence in lieu of Mr Rauf's health and family circumstances.

He has since been released on bail, however the presiding sheriff said a jail term was "at the forefront" of his mind.

Mr Rauf was previously convicted of fraud in 1996. He was handed down a four-year sentence for stealing nearly £60,000 in pension and benefit payments when he was a sub-post master at Tollcross in Edinburgh.

Speaking to the BBC Ms Sturgeon said: "This constituent accepted his wrongdoing, he has made attempts to pay back some of the money, but those are matters for the court to take into account.

"I'm duty-bound to make reasonable representations, that's what I did as a constituency MSP, and ultimately it is for the court to make a decision about the disposal of the case."

(PR/GK)