This article appears as part of the Unspun: Scottish Politics newsletter.
So could Angus Robertson have done more to avert the crisis which has engulfed the Scottish Government's embattled heritage agency?
Was he proactive in dealing with its troubles? Were his hands on the wheel or was he asleep at it?
These were the issues confronting the culture secretary as he faced members of a Holyrood committee today amid the ongoing turmoil inside Historic Environment Scotland.
Scottish Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr led the case for the prosecution, backed by his party colleague Jamie Halcro Johnstone while Mr Robertson gave his own defence - supported by committee member SNP deputy leader Keith Brown.
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HES has been hit by a series of press reports in recent months over the conduct of its senior staff including the alleged use of racist language and the misuse of hospitality. Its board is also investigating allegations of corruption against one director with a probe underway since early summer.
Meanwhile, the agency's chief executive Katerina Brown - appointed in just September last year - only recently returned to work following a leave of absence since June.
Although the committee were told today that while Ms Brown had come back to work to sign off the organisation's accounts she had not resumed her full duties as chief executive.
The agency is given £74 million a year from the Scottish Government to look after and promote more than 300 of Scotland’s most important historic and environmental heritage sites including Edinburgh Castle and the neolithic Skara Brae settlement on Orkney.
After last week's committee session which questioned HES's new chair Sir Mark Jones Mr Kerr accused Mr Robertson of being "asleep at the wheel" during the organisation's "meltdown" after MSPs heard Mr Robertson had not met the board for four and a half years.
Today the Tory stepped up that line of attack pointing out that the culture secretary had not in fact met with the board nor its former chair Dr Hugh Hall at all during the current parliamentary term accusing the Cabinet minister of a "dereliction of duty".
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Naturally, Mr Robertson objected pointing out he had met Dr Hall at a event in Falkirk. Mr Kerr hit back saying "a chat" at an event did not count.
But the culture secretary insisted he had been proactive in dealing with the organisation's problems.
He pointed to the recruitment of the new chair Sir Mark Jones and added that two new board members were to be appointed shortly.
He also told MSPs that a recruitment process for a new chief operating officer had begun.
In addition, he listed a timeline of very regular recent meetings between civil servants whose job was to work with HES, and the agency's board. He said these officials would report back to him to keep him informed.
Mr Robertson's defence though appeared flawed after Mr Kerr told the committee that his predecessor as SNP culture secretary Fiona Hyslop met multiple times a year in person with the board when she was in the job - and at a time the organisation was not in crisis.
"You've not engaged personally," Mr Kerr told Mr Robertson.
"You've not been in attendance at a single meeting...I would simply point out that Fiona Hyslop, your predecessor, met with the board in person at least twice, sometimes three times a year, and that was, without the organization, being in a state of chaos and crisis."
Mr Robertson was also asked by Mr Halcro Johnstone if he regretted not meeting the board.
The minister said he did not, stating he had "the utmost confidence" in the work his civil servants were doing with the board on "a day to day basis".
Later Mr Brown said he was "quite surprised to hear some of the discussion about meetings with the board" because "most people know how these things work" suggesting that the lack of meetings between Mr Robertson and the board was not a relevant issue.
But given the regular talks the diligent Ms Hyslop had with board when she was in post, it was hard not to conclude that it would have better if Mr Robertson had done likewise.
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Surely, a senior minister can have full confidence in his senior civil servants - and also think it necessary to attend some of the board meetings too, especially at a time of crisis in an organisation?
Even out of personal curiosity many would think a member of the cabinet might want to go along to find out first hand what is going on rather than simply rely on second hand accounts from officials, reliable as they are.
And many observing the turmoil in HES would think Mr Robertson would have been all the more compelled to do so with the organisation given a huge chunk of public money to do a very important job looking after Scotland's heritage.
Against this background, it is perhaps unwise for the minister to have no regrets.
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