John Swinney has been accused of “trying to shut down scrutiny” as he again rejected calls for a Holyrood inquiry to be established into Peter Murrell’s crimes.
The former SNP chief executive – and estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon – this week pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party.
The issue was raised at the first First Minister’s Questions since May’s Holyrood election, with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar alleging Mr Swinney – who appointed Murrell in his first stint as SNP leader – had “helped build” a culture in the party that enabled the crime.
Mr Swinney dismissed that as “victim blaming”, adding that Mr Sarwar should be “ashamed of himself”.
But the Scottish Labour leader insisted a parliamentary inquiry was now needed because “secrecy and cover-up go far beyond one individual or one case”.
Mr Sarwar said: “At its heart is an SNP culture where secrecy became normal, dissent dangerous and people learned that speaking out carried a heavy price. All while those at the top of the SNP machine operated without scrutiny.”
He added that a parliamentary inquiry would not consider criminal behaviour, but would instead “look at the culture, the process of decision-making and lessons for the future”.
The Scottish Labour leader insisted it would “answer the many questions that the public have”.
But Mr Swinney told him he did not support a parliamentary inquiry, telling MSPs: “We have just had a police investigation which has gone on for five years and that police investigation has identified criminality as the source of this particular issue, and that is now being remedied.
“So, I don’t think there is anything a parliamentary inquiry can add to a five-year forensic police investigation that has resulted in the successful prosecution of an individual and his guilty plea.”
The SNP leader added: “What I would rather do is concentrate on the priorities of the people of Scotland, as I always do.”
However, Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay accused the First Minister of “trying to shut down scrutiny” on the issues surrounding Murrell and the SNP.
The Tory condemned the “usual desperate deflection from John Swinney”, telling MSPs: “He’s trying to shut down scrutiny and we won’t stand for it.”
Mr Findlay said: “John Swinney says that the SNP is the victim, although there are new reports that taxpayers’ money was also stolen.”
His comments came as he challenged the First Minister to say if the SNP would be taking legal action to require Murrell to pay compensation to the party.
Mr Swinney said that “as a matter of fact” prosecutors in Monday’s court case – where Murrell had admitted embezzling a total of £400,310.65 from the SNP between 2010 and 2022 – had made a “verbal motion for confiscation” under proceeds of crime legislation.
While he said a decision on this would “ultimately be for the court to make”, the SNP leader hit back at this Tory rival, saying his questions showed the “desperation of a man who has led the Conservative Party into oblivion”, after the party was reduced to 12 MSPs at the recent election.
Mr Swinney added that in regard to the allegations of stolen “taxpayers’ money” the only issue that could apply to would be in relation to a policy development grant from the Electoral Commission.
An Electoral Commission spokesperson said: “The SNP received policy development grants as set out in law. Parties have to report on their use of the grant and have the grant expenditure independently audited.
“The commission checks carefully that the grant is spent correctly.
“The SNP have provided those audits, we have checked them and we have seen no evidence of misuse of policy development grant funds.”
The spokesperson added: “If there is any evidence of any misuse, the commission will take appropriate action to safeguard public money.”
Speaking to reporters after FMQs, Mr Swinney said he did not believe Murrell had embezzled public funds.
He said: “I’m satisfied that we’ve gone through all of the accounting processes that are required to secure that money, which is validated by external bodies.”
Asked if Murrell could have falsified receipts and invoices to steal public funds, Mr Swinney added: “I’m satisfied that that has not been the case.”
The First Minister was also asked which checks Ms Sturgeon had made when she previously gave assurances that there were no issues with the party’s finances.
He said: “I don’t know all of the conversations that took place but at the heart of this case is a very simple point: there was a betrayal of trust.”
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