NOW POLICE PROBE 19 SNP FRAUD CLAIMS
Pressure mounts on Sturgeon’s husband as new allegations emerge in investigation into party’s ‘missing’ £600,000
THE SNP is facing a raft of fresh fraud allegations as a police probe into £600,000 of ‘missing’ party donations escalated last night.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that police are investigating 12 new fraud complaints amid allegations that cash earmarked for a second independence referendum has been diverted.
The new claims emerged days after Police Scotland confirmed that, following consultation with prosecutors, it was looking into seven allegations of fraud.
The escalating police investigation will put intense pressure on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell, who is the party’s
chief executive. It is now expected that senior party figures – including Mr Murrell – will be interviewed by police, and that detectives will also seek warrants to demand SNP lawyers and auditors hand over key documents.
An informed source said: ‘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
‘Where is he? Why has he disappeared?’
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.’
The investigation follows a series of resignations from the SNP’s ruling body in a row over the transparency of the party’s accounts.
The SNP collected £600,000 through two fundraising drives in 2017 and 2019.
It insisted the money would be ‘ring-fenced’ for a future independence referendum campaign.
But concerns were raised by supporters after accounts published publicly appeared to show the money was no longer there. Five individuals have resigned from party roles, including MPs Joanna Cherry and Douglas Chapman, who was treasurer.
Some of those who have resigned have complained that Mr Murrell refused to open up the accounts. Last night, SNP sources said it was time for the chief executive, who does not disclose his salary but is understood to collect a six-figure sum, to stand down. One SNP source said: ‘Peter Murrell gave evidence to the Salmond Inquiry but has not appeared in public since. Normally, he would accompany Nicola to vote on polling day, but he has been nowhere to be seen. Where is he? Why has he disappeared?
‘The vast majority of members, whether pro or anti-Nicola, don’t think it’s healthy to have the chief executive and leader of the party from the same family, and never was. But now, given the circumstances and the humiliation of having a police investigation into party finances, the time has long passed for the chief executive to stand down – he has become an embarrassment to himself, the party and Nicola.’
Another senior party figure 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. Now the police are investigating, that has really brought it home. These financial issues have not been handled in a positive way. 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.’
The SNP’s opponents warned the saga was now having a damaging effect on Scottish politics.
Stephen Kerr, MSP, Scottish Conservative chief whip, said: ‘Nationalists are clearly furious that their money has vanished into an SNP murky black hole.
‘It’s right that Police Scotland are investigating whatever happened here because it’s clear the SNP won’t come clean. They are dragging down Scottish politics with this affair.’
Scottish Labour MSP Neil Bibby said it was ‘deeply damaging for Scottish politics that the governing party is subject to a criminal investigation’, while Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain said: ‘They [the SNP] seem to be no better at handling supporters’ money than they are handling that of Scottish taxpayers.’
An SNP spokesman said: ‘We will co-operate fully with the police investigation, and will make no further comment.’
‘Nationalists are furious their money vanished’