FRAUD COPS QUIZ SNP CHIEFS
Probe on indy £600k days before Sturgeon quit
SNP officials were questioned by detectives investigating an alleged £600,000 fraud just days before nicola Sturgeon resigned.
Former party treasurer Douglas Chapman, who quit after failing to get access to accounts, has spoken to officers along with others.
Chief executive Peter Murrell, who is married to the First Minister, is yet to be contacted.
Police interviewed senior SNP members over fraud allegations days before Nicola Sturgeon’s shock resignation.
Former treasurer Douglas Chapman spoke to detectives and other key f igures were contacted in connection with the probe into claims of £ 600,000 of missing ring-fenced referendum cash – codenamed Operation Branchform.
Chief executive Peter Murrell, who is married to the First Minister, has yet to be contacted.
Our revelations come amid demands for independent adjudicators to be brought in to oversee the SNP leadership election process, over which Murrell is understood to have almost complete control.
A source said: “Douglas Chapman spoke to police in the days before the First Minister caught everyone out with her resignation announcement.
“Several other former officials from the party’s governing body were contacted around the same time. The investigation seems to be homing in on a number of specific transactions so this is clearly a live investigation which is gathering pace.
“We don’t know whether Murrell or Sturgeon have been inter v iewed but it seems inconceivable that the chief executive would not be contacted at some point.
“He is the only person who had complete oversight and control over all aspects of accounts, how any money was spent and, ultimately, all key decisions. Whether or not this investigation played any part in the FM’s decision to announce her resignation when she did, we may never know.
“It was something that was going to happen but everyone, including her most senior ministers, were caught out by the timing.”
Dunfermline and West Fife MP Chapman resigned as treasurer of the party in May 2021, claiming he had “not received the support of financial information” and is understood to have been interviewed as a potential witness. Several other officials a lso resigned amid claims Murrell refused to give access to the account s and a re believed to be among others contacted by police in recent weeks. It’s since emerged Murrell gave a loan of £107,620 to the party to help it out with a “cash flow” issue after the last election in June 2021. Sturgeon has said she “can’t reca l l ” when she learned of the loan but said it came from Mur rel l ’ s own “resources”.
The loan was made just months af ter the Sunday Mai l f irst revealed the fraud investigation in April 2021.
Electoral Commission records show Murrell handed the SNP the loan on June 20, 2021, with no security against it and no fixed interest rate. The watchdog was not notified until August 11, 2022.
It was also told an instalment of £ 26,905 was repaid on August 18, 2021, followed by a further instalment of £20,715 on October 25, 2021.
Failing to disclose a political donation or loan can result in sanctions from the Electoral Commission, which may also decide to refer the matter to police.
Meanwhile, former SNP health secretary Alex Neil has demanded independent adjudicators are brought in to oversee the leadership battle between Humza Yousaf, Kate Forbes and Ash Regan.
He said: “I think we need to have independent oversight of this election process. We aren’t just electing a party leader here. The winner will immediately also become Scotland’s first minister – so there needs to be absolute confidence in the process.
“Ideally it would be the Electoral Commission which would take on this job or a body like that.
“We need to be sure, for example, that the electronic process through which SNP members will be voting is secure and not open to abuse by foreign powers. It is not really acceptable that the SNP