Cole-Hamilton comments on Murrell sentencing

Responding to the news that Peter Murrell has been sentenced to five years and three months in prison for embezzlement, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said:

“This is hugely embarrassing for the SNP top brass who missed what was going on under their noses and then sought to downplay it after it was exposed.

“Peter Murrell was at the centre of the SNP for decades. He was close to everyone at the top of this SNP Government. He was undoubtedly one of the most powerful men in the country. He has still not explained why he did what he did.

“I am surprised that no one SNP parliamentarian is interested in finding out exactly how deep Murrell’s crimes went.

“John Swinney’s refusal to sanction an inquiry into whether public money was stolen looks nakedly self-serving. With the SNP and their Green allies blocking such a probe at Holyrood, the UK Parliament’s Scottish Affairs committee should step in."