POLICE Scotland has issued a statement after former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell pled guilty to embezzling £400,310.65 from the political party.
Assistant chief constable Stuart Houston, who had oversight of Operation Branchform, has said the investigation was "lengthy and extremely complex" due to "the scale of criminality over a 12-year period".
Murrell, 62, was first arrested in April 2023 as part of the police investigation into the SNP’s finances, Operation Branchform, and was charged in April 2024.
He has now pleaded guilty to an amended indictment, after initially being charged with embezzling £459,000 from the party. The amount was reduced to £400,310.65.
“This was a lengthy and extremely complex case due to the scale of criminality over a 12-year period and the lengths Peter Murrell went to try and cover his tracks," the statement from Houston reads.
“I commend the professionalism and absolute dedication of the Operation Branchform team who spent more than four years carrying out extensive enquiries across Europe to unpick Murrell’s offending.
“All of this work, in close partnership with colleagues from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, was carried out under the most intense public scrutiny and it was their commitment to gathering such detailed and compelling evidence that brought us to the High Court today.
“This is without doubt one of the most high-profile investigations in recent times and it is testimony to the work of Police Scotland officers and staff that has led to Peter Murrell’s admission of guilt early in the court process.
“I would also like to thank the many witnesses who came forward to provide us with statements as we built the case against Peter Murrell. Their engagement with us was vital.
“Peter Murrell has shown utter contempt for the high public trust placed in him as the chief executive of a political party and his position in the wider political establishment in Scotland for many years.
“He abused his privileged position with access to Scottish National Party funds to divert cash into his own accounts and bankroll the lavish lifestyle he craved but could not afford.
“From 2010 to 2022 he spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on luxury goods while carefully trying to hide his criminality with false receipts and accounting.
“He must now face the consequences of his actions.”
