Overview
- An email reported to be from Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain informed First Minister John Swinney on January 19 that Peter Murrell had been indicted for allegedly embezzling £459,046.49 from the SNP.
- The indictment details alleged offences between 2010 and January 2023, with purchases said to include vehicles and high-value goods, and Murrell has yet to enter a plea.
- A preliminary hearing set for February 20 in Glasgow was postponed to May 25 in Edinburgh at the defence’s request, keeping reporting restrictions in place through the Holyrood election period.
- The Crown Office says the Lord Advocate was not involved in decisions on the case and that her email was a formal update to create a record and flag contempt-of-court constraints.
- Opposition leaders from the Conservatives and Labour are urging Bain to face MSPs to explain the communication, while Swinney has declined to comment, citing respect for the criminal process.