Murrell told family of woman who donated £20k to the SNP in her will to 'only deal with him'
Margaret Killah left the SNP £20,000 - but her family now worry this has been ‘stolen’ by Peter Murrell.
Peter Murrell allegedly told a grieving family to “only deal with him” after a relative donated £20,000 to the SNP in her will.
Lifelong SNP supporter Margaret Killah from Aberdeen left £20,000 in her will to the nationalists - however, her family are now worried that money was “stolen” by Murrell.
Murrell is due to be sentenced later this month after admitting embezzling £400,000 from the SNP. The court case revealed there were not the appropriate checks and balances on his spending as party chief executive, and that he signed off his own expenses.
Ms Killah’s family have now told the Scottish Conservatives that Murrell insisted her solicitors only speak to him and not the party treasurer.
During first minister’s questions, Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: “John Swinney has blocked a parliamentary inquiry into the SNP crime scandal, and doesn’t want to know if Peter Murrell stole taxpayers’ money, his plea deal, or why Nicola Sturgeon wasn’t prosecuted.
“A lady called Margaret Killah joined the SNP in the 1950s and donated money to the party for years.
“She died aged 84 and left them £20,000.
“Peter Murrell told her solicitor to deal only with him, not the party treasurer.
“Her executor told me she would have backed an inquiry. She said Margaret truly believed in the SNP and would have been so upset and angry.
“We will never know if Peter Murrell stole her money, so why is John Swinney so scared of doing the right thing?”
Earlier this week the SNP rejected a motion by Scottish Labour to launch a Holyrood inquiry into the Murrell scandal. Instead, the parliament has backed a motion from the Scottish Greens to open up an independent inquiry into all party funding.
Westminster’s Scottish affairs committee has also delayed a decision on whether it will open a parliamentary inquiry into the matter - something Mr Swinney has condemned as inappropriate.
In response to Mr Findlay’s question, Mr Swinney said: “The embezzlement case affected my party and my party alone.
“I appreciate and value the contributions made to the party by members, and that is at the heart of the response to this incredibly distressing experience.
“That is why I am taking action to secure the return of those monies at the earliest opportunity because of the commitment and devotion of individuals who have given and feel injured - I’m one of them, I donate to the party.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also raised the issue. He said: “The SNP believe this is an attempt by a political rival to investigate their inner workings, and that is not my intention.
“The issues raised go beyond the internal workings of the SNP.
“There are legitimate questions for Police Scotland, the Crown Office, the lord advocate, HMRC and the legal aid board on why a wealthy man with property abroad with the means to pay back £400,000 had access to legal aid.
“Scots deserve answers to these questions.”
However the First Minister reiterated his stance that there should not be an inquiry because “it’s been done by the police and no organisation can take that issue forward in a more sophisticated way”.
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