John Swinney denies 'sweeping Murrell scandal under carpet'

First Minister John Swinney has denied trying to sweep a scandal surrounding former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell's "under the carpet".

Swinney faced criticism from opposition MSPs after Murrell admitted embezzling more than £400,000 of party funds.

Conservative MSP Rachael Hamilton also said the public would question why Nicola Sturgeon did not face further action following the police investigation into SNP finances.

Sturgeon has denied any wrongdoing and said she had "no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that personal items had been purchased using SNP funds".

Murrell - Nicola Sturgeon's estranged husband - potentially faces a lengthy jail sentence after he pleaded guilty to embezzling £400,310.65 over a 12-year period up to 2022.

The 61-year-old used party funds to make hundreds of illicit purchases, ranging from handcream and towels to a luxury motorhome and two cars.

Sturgeon was arrested and released without charge as part of the police probe, and was later told she would not face further action.

Following an urgent question in the Scottish Parliament chamber on Tuesday afternoon, Swinney described Murrell's crime as a "terrible breach of trust and an overwhelming betrayal".

He said there had been an "extensive police investigation" and that the offending was the former SNP chief executive's sole responsibility.

The first minister said it was "irrelevant" that he had appointed Murrell as SNP chief executive in 2001 during his first spell as party leader.

Scottish Conservative Hamilton accused Swinney of "desperately trying to sweep this scandal under the carpet".

She said the public would question why Sturgeon did not face further criminal investigation.

Hamilton, referencing the purchase of expensive pens, watches and a coffee machine, told MSPs: "This is unbelievable – normal married couples would question where this money came from."

She asked if Scotland's top law officer, the lord advocate, would publish the reasons why the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service did not pursue charges against the former first minister.

Labour's Jackie Baillie accused Swinney of being the "architect of a culture of secrecy and cover-up" in the SNP.

And Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said that at best the Murrell case was a "catastrophic failure of financial oversight" and questioned why voters should trust the SNP with public finances.

Swinney said Hamilton was straying into "incredibly inappropriate territory" and denied trying to sweep the story under the carpet.

The first minister added that the public should be confident that the police and courts would act with integrity and impartiality in all cases "no matter who you are".