Rabat – Michael Matheson, Scotland’s Health Secretary, has resigned from his position in the wake of a controversy surrounding an £11,000 bill in roaming charges accrued on his parliamentary iPad during a family trip to Morocco.
The decision comes ahead of an impending report by the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body investigating whether Matheson improperly expensed the charges, BBC reported.
Matheson initially denied any personal use of the device for non-parliamentary matters, but he later admitted that his sons had used the iPad as a data hotspot to watch football. He then reimbursed the full amount and issued an apology.
In his resignation letter to Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf, Matheson expressed his desire to avoid further distraction from governmental duties, citing the ongoing investigation.
“It is in the best interest of myself and the government for me to now step down to ensure this does not become a distraction to taking forward the government’s agenda,” he said.
Neil Gray was then appointed as the new Health Secretary in a cabinet reshuffle that occurred after Matheson’s departure.
Despite initially downplaying the severity of the expense claims, Yousaf accepted Matheson’s resignation with “sadness” and acknowledged the need for transparency in light of the investigation.
The Scottish Parliament Corporate Body has confirmed the completion of its draft report and provided Matheson with a two-week window to respond. Potential repercussions may include referral to the parliament’s standards committee or the removal of Matheson’s expense reimbursement privileges.
The case, which came to light last November, has caused widespread controversy in Scotland as citizens raised questions about the level of responsibility that the government has in the use of public funds and taxpayer’s money.
