Scottish Health Secretary Michael Matheson is in trouble after returning from a holiday in Morocco with a phone bill of almost 11,000 pounds (more than $18,700).
The large expenditure was caused by a football match his children were watching on the iPad in the office, prompting the minister to formally apologize to Parliament on Thursday, embarrassing the pro-independence government.
Mr Matheson tried to explain these costs by the work he would have done during his holiday in Morocco, but the opposition stated that it would have been necessary to send more than 8,000 emails to clear the amounts owed, as BBC reported Wednesday.
“I and my family have made mistakes,” Mr Matheson asserted, pointing out that he had finally returned the bill to the government and sincerely apologized to members of the Scottish Parliament.
Prime Minister Humza Yousaf, whose party has been rocked by a scandal over its funding, said “honest mistakes happen” and reiterated his confidence in his minister, whose resignation is being called for by opposition MPs, according to 7Sur7 media.