A social media post from the Yes Scotland account that appeared to joke about £1.5 million of 'missing' money was made without the knowledge or consent of the pro-independence group's chief executive, Blair Jenkins, his lawyer has confirmed.
Lawyer Issues Statement
Solicitor Aamer Anwar, who represents Jenkins, released a statement condemning the post, which surfaced over the weekend. The post read: 'It's been a while. Some would say a generation or so ago. Woken up excited to hear that there is £1.5M missing. Must have been in the sofa given to a recycling charity after the referendum. Reward of two 'Yes' mugs to anyone with info leading to its recovery. DMs are open.'
Mr Anwar emphasized that Jenkins does not find the allegations amusing. 'Mr Jenkins has been made aware of a message posted from the official Yes Scotland account on X, which seems to make light of recent allegations that £1.5 million is “missing” from the organisation’s accounts,' the lawyer said.
Background of Allegations
The post comes after campaigners Sean Clerkin and David Hendry contacted Police Scotland last week, raising concerns that former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell—who was jailed for embezzling more than £400,000 from the party—may have had access to Yes Scotland funds. Clerkin, whose complaints sparked the Operation Branchform investigation into SNP finances, previously stated that Murrell 'had very close control over all the donations that were coming into Yes Scotland.'
Mr Anwar has previously dismissed attempts to link Murrell's criminal conduct to Yes Scotland's finances. 'To make it perfectly clear, Mr Murrell never at any time had access to Yes Scotland’s accounts,' he said last week.
Jenkins' Distress
In his latest statement, Mr Anwar noted that the social media account was believed to have been closed 12 years ago. 'The message was posted without the knowledge or approval of Mr Jenkins. The false allegations of 'missing money' have caused extreme anger and distress for Mr Jenkins and his family over the last two weeks.'
