John Swinney has stated that it is for the courts to determine whether Nicola Sturgeon should return gifts purchased for her by Peter Murrell using embezzled Scottish National Party funds. The First Minister also confirmed he had no prior knowledge of Murrell and his family reportedly selling their Portuguese villa before the former SNP chief executive claimed legal aid during his legal proceedings.
Background of the Embezzlement Case
Nicola Sturgeon has acknowledged that some gifts she received from her estranged husband were bought with money embezzled from party members. Peter Murrell, who embezzled more than £400,000, admitted to using SNP funds to purchase a 9ct gold pendant in Shetland in 2019.
Speaking in Glasgow, Swinney was questioned about whether the former first minister should return items acquired through such illicit means. He responded: “There is a process under way involving the Crown, which has made representations to the court about a confiscation order. This will relate to all of these different issues. Therefore, I believe it is best to leave that to the court to decide on these particular matters, as they will be material to the judgment that must be reached in response to the Crown's claim.”
Legal Aid Controversy
It was recently reported that Murrell and his family sold their jointly-owned villa in Portugal after receiving legal aid. Swinney stated he had “no knowledge” of the sale but noted that legal aid claims are “assessed on the basis of very strict criteria.” He added that the Scottish Legal Aid Board has confirmed it is satisfied “that the correct judgments have been pursued.”
Potential Tax Implications
The SNP is also facing questions about whether it could owe money to HM Revenue and Customs if Murrell claimed back VAT on purchases he asserted were for party use. Swinney mentioned last week that his party is in discussions with the tax authority regarding this matter.
Opposition Calls for Inquiry
Opposition parties are advocating for a Holyrood inquiry into the SNP, a move not supported by the party. At the end of last month, Sturgeon expressed the “pain” and “bewilderment” she felt upon discovering that some gifts from Murrell were purchased with embezzled funds.
“I loved that necklace and I wore it a lot,” the former SNP leader said in a tearful interview. “The idea that I would have gone about wearing things that I had known were anything other than what they were presented as, a gift from my husband... To then find out that these were gifts given to me that he had bought with the party’s money causes a level of pain and bewilderment. I am not sure I will ever properly come to terms with that.”
Sturgeon remarked that she felt like she was “serving a sentence for a crime I did not commit.” She has faced criticism from figures including former SNP MP and NEC member Joanna Cherry for allegedly shutting down concerns over the party’s finances.
Scottish Legal Aid Board Statement
A spokesperson for the Scottish Legal Aid Board stated: “Unlike civil legal aid, SLAB does not have specific powers in criminal legal aid to recover assets that may be released to Peter Murrell at the end of the case to offset legal aid costs. However, we are considering if there are other legal measures that might be used to safeguard the legal aid fund in this event. We would work with the Scottish Government and the legal profession if it is decided that the current powers in criminal legal aid to recover assets should be reviewed as part of the reform process.”
