Peter Murrell Faces Eight Court Charges for £460,000 Embezzlement

Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP), is facing eight court charges related to an alleged embezzlement scheme amounting to £460,000. The charges include creating fraudulent sales documents to mask personal purchases, including a luxury motorhome.

Details of the Allegations Against Peter Murrell

Murrell, who served the SNP for over two decades, is accused of misappropriating party funds over a twelve-and-a-half-year period, from August 12, 2010, to January 13, 2023. This timeframe includes significant political milestones for the party, notably during the leadership of Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon.

• Murrell allegedly embezzled a total of £459,046.49 from party funds.
• A luxury motorhome, valued at £124,550, was purchased using SNP funds.
• In addition to the motorhome, Murrell is charged with unlawfully using funds for luxury goods, cosmetics, and jewelry.

Motorhome Purchase and Fraudulent Activity

According to court documents, Murrell acquired a Niesmann and Bischoff Smove 7.4e motorhome, which was transported to near his mother’s residence in Dunfermline. He initially charged £12,500 to an SNP credit card for the vehicle in October 2020. Subsequently, he transferred £112,050 from an SNP bank account to finalize the purchase in December 2020.

To justify this expense, Murrell is accused of fabricating duplicate sales documentation. These documents altered key details to misrepresent the motorhome purchase as a legitimate party expense.

Additional Charges

Aside from the motorhome, Murrell is charged with using SNP funds for other personal purchases:

• A £33,000 Volkswagen Golf, for which £16,489 of party money was used.
• A £81,000 Jaguar I-Pace, involving £57,500 from SNP funds.

For the Jaguar purchase, Murrell allegedly produced a false invoice to facilitate misleading accounting entries within the SNP’s financial system. He reportedly deposited £47,378.76 from the sale of this vehicle into his personal bank account.

Legal Proceedings and Background

Peter Murrell’s court appearance is scheduled for next Friday, where he will be asked to enter a plea. In April 2023, police searched his home as part of a larger investigation into SNP finances, named Operation Branchform. This operation was launched after allegations arose concerning the disappearance of over £600,000 meant for a proposed independence referendum that did not occur.

Notably, Murrell’s wife, Nicola Sturgeon, announced their separation in January 2023, shortly before the investigation intensified. While she has been arrested in connection with the probe, she was released without charge, and the investigation into her was subsequently dropped. Murrell has yet to publicly address the allegations against him.

The SNP, under Murrell’s leadership, transformed from a relatively obscure political entity into a dominant force in Scottish politics, playing a crucial role in shaping contemporary Scottish governance.