Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay has accused First Minister John Swinney of showing 'faux outrage' over criticism of the Lord Advocate, claiming it is a distraction from the real issues. The accusation came after a heated exchange at First Minister's Questions on Thursday, where Swinney defended Dorothy Bain KC, the Lord Advocate, against allegations of 'corruption' made by Findlay.
The controversy stems from revelations that Bain informed Swinney on January 19 that former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell had been charged with embezzling nearly £460,000 from the party, weeks before the indictment was made public. Findlay and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar argued that this provided a political advantage to the SNP government.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Friday, Findlay said: 'It's absolutely stinking and I think John Swinney's faux outrage is a desperate attempt to detract and distract from the real issues about this sorry mess.' He added that the situation 'stinks of corruption' and questioned why the Lord Advocate, who had recused herself from the case, was emailing the First Minister with sensitive details.
The Lord Advocate has 'roundly rejected' any allegations of corruption, and Swinney expressed 'absolute confidence' in her, praising her 40 years of service. Murrell's preliminary hearing, originally scheduled for Friday, has been moved to May 25 at the High Court in Edinburgh.
