JACK McConnell said yesterday that BBC Scotland should be "ashamed" about claims made in a documentary that money raised to spend on tackling poverty in Malawi was being wasted.
The First Minister hit back at the "scandalous misrepresentation" and "fanciful" claim that administrative costs had taken up 31% of the money spent so far on the initiative he has led to build links between Scotland and the African country.
Launching his attack during First Minister's Questions at Holyrood, he accused the BBC of failing to explain its figures and appearing to define "administration" more widely than was reasonable.
He said: "The scandalous misrepresentation of the facts in relation to the work of the International Development Fund should make those responsible ashamed of their actions. I can give an absolute guarantee to this parliament that the misrepresentation of funding for organisations here in Scotland, as administration, was untrue.
"The reality is that people here in Scotland are being supported in innovative projects that support people in Malawi to help them stand on their own two feet, to develop education and training services, to support their economy in a sustainable way and to improve the nature of governance in Malawi."
Officials later released figures that showed £320,000 is spent every year on administrating the Scottish Executive's £4.5m annual budget for international development - though it is claimed the salaries do not come out of the aid budget.
"No admin costs are taken from the International Development Fund, from which 58 individual projects across sub-Saharan Africa and the tsunami and earthquake affected areas have been supported," said a spokesman for the First Minister.
The BBC Frontline programme had included in its calculation the cost of travel for people from Malawi attending a conference 16 months ago at Holyrood, and for Scots visiting Malawi to work on joint projects.
The BBC last night defended its journalism, saying it was legitimate to examine the cost-effectiveness and financial details gained from the executive under freedom of information legislation.
"Unfortunately, the Scottish Executive was unable to provide figures to show that the money dispensed so far has been spent as effectively as in other similar aid programmes," said a BBC spokesman.
During the exchange at Holyrood, Mr McConnell defended the international development programme against the charge that it should be left to Westminster.
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