12 new SNP ‘missing funds’ complaints
Police are investigating 12 new fraud complaints over the SNP’S £600,000 “missing cash”.
Thecrowdfundedmoneywas donated to the SNP by supporters to help fund the next referendum campaign, only for many independence activists to allege this money has “disappeared”fromthesnpaccounts.
Police are now reportedly investigating 12 new fraud complaints over the funds as part of their probe into the missing donations.
It will increase pressure on Firstministernicolasturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell, who is the party’s chief executive.
It is now believed senior party figures including Mr Murrell will be interviewed by police, with The Mail on Sunday claiming they will also seek warrants to get access to documents.
A source told the newspaper: “Around a dozen more allegations have emerged since police announced their investigation.
“Those people have to be seen, to give formal statements, and that will slow things down a bit.
“But once that is out of the way, police will seek warrants to examine the documents the auditors would not give up voluntarily, and they’re also expecting to seek a warrant to get the party’s lawyers to hand over relevant documentation.
"After that, it is a certainty that they will want to question the party’s accountants and senior office bearers, in particular the treasurer and the chief executive, and possibly the lawyers as well, depending on what they discover.
"It is not yet guaranteed that any of these people will be interviewed as suspects.
“That will depend on what they learn from the statements being taken over the coming days and the documents they
expect to recover through warrants.”
Thesnpsaiditwouldco-operate fully with the investigation.
Anotherseniorfigureclaimed the missing money was Mr Murrell’s responsibility.
They said: "This money has become a bit like the emperor’s new clothes.
"We knew it wasn’t there, but people kept insisting it was, even though we couldn’t see it.
"No matter what happens now, the fact that police are having to investigate shows that he is probably not the right man for the job.”