Overview
- Peter Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,310.65 from the SNP and was remanded in custody after a hearing that followed his plea on 25 May; he is due to be sentenced at the High Court in Edinburgh on 23 June.
- Prosecutors told the court that Murrell falsified accounting records, created fake invoices and used party charge cards and direct transfers to pay for personal items including watches, pens, cars and a £124,550 motorhome.
- Police evidence showed the motorhome had only four miles on the clock when seized and investigators found other purchases misdescribed in party accounts, which prosecutors say were funded from the SNP’s principal bank account.
- Nicola Sturgeon has denied any knowledge of the offences and was cleared by Police Scotland, while calls for an independent financial inquiry persist and SNP leader John Swinney argues the criminal probe provides accountability.
- The Crown Office released photographs of seized goods and prosecutors have signalled possible asset‑recovery action, raising questions about how long it will take to recover funds and whether party financial controls will face wider scrutiny ahead of upcoming elections.