Scotland’s top prosecutor has come under intense scrutiny after it was revealed she shared details of the embezzlement charges against Peter Murrell with First Minister John Swinney 33 days before the details were made available to the public.
Dorothy Bain KC, who sits in John Swinney’s Cabinet in Holyrood, notified the First Minister of the charge against Mr Murrell of embezzlement of £459,046.49 from SNP party funds on January 19
Mr Swinney was notified of the eight charges brought against Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband 33 days before his scheduled court appearance on February 20
Mr Murrell, who served as the SNP’s chief executive from 2001 to 2023, is yet to enter a plea to the charges.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said Bain sent the memo to ensure transparency.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said Ms Bain notified the First Minister to ensure transparency.
The Scottish Sun first published details of the charges when the indictment was made available to journalists one week prior to the court date.
The details of the charges have since been obtained by GB News.
Mr Murrell, who served as the SNP’s chief executive from 2001 to 2023, is yet to enter a plea to the charges
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The newspaper reports Ms Bain informed the First Minister on January 13 that “Peter Murrell has been indicted today for embezzlement”.
She added: “The case will call for a preliminary hearing at the High Court in Glasgow on February 20, 2026.
“There is a longstanding tradition that Law Officers are not involved in the decision making in relation to cases involving politicians such as this case.”
“The charge is that Peter Murrell embezzled £459,046.49 from the Scottish National Party.
“There is a longstanding tradition that Law Officers are not involved in the decision-making in relation to cases involving politicians such as this case.”
According to The Scottish Sun, the memo was forwarded on from the First Minister’s office to Chief of Staff Colin McAllister and Private Secretary John Webster.
Later that afternoon, the Crown Office told the media, “The case is scheduled to call for a preliminary hearing at the High Court in Glasgow on February 20, 2026.
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“The prosecution service has no further information or guidance to provide at this point.”
Mr Murrell’s Glasgow court appearance has since been moved to May 25, 2026.
The new court date is now more than two weeks after the Scottish Parliament Election.
However, the Scottish Government has insisted it had no involvement in that decision.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay has called on Ms Bain to explain her early notification to the First Minister.
Mr Findlay demanded the Lord Advocate provides “a full explanation as a matter of urgency”.
He said: “Why were the public kept in the dark while John Swinney was given a detailed private briefing which he then shared with civil servants and SNP spin doctors?”
Dorothy Bain KC, who sits in Mr Swinney’s Cabinet, notified the First Minister of charges over the alleged embezzlement of £459,046.49 from SNP funds on January 19
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Mr Swinney added: “That’s why the Lord Advocate must come to Holyrood and provide a full explanation as a matter of urgency.”
A spokesman for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service defended the notification of Ms Bain to the First Minister.
“The Lord Advocate provided the First Minister with an update to ensure it was understood she was not involved in the case, that it was active for contempt of court, and therefore it should not be commented upon,” the spokesman said.
“This message was sent formally after the indictment had been served in order to form part of the record and ensure transparency in due course.
The spokesman added: “Once an indictment has been served on an accused it stands to become public at any point.”
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Mr Murrell is accused of embezzling £459,046.49 from party funds over a 12-year-period between August 2010 and January 2023.
The earliest dated charges relate to Amazon purchases, adding up to £81,610.19 allegedly charged to SNP credit cards or charge cards between August 2010 and January 2023.
The largest sum detailed in the eight-page indictment is a £159,757 grouping of individual store purchases, ranging from Argos and B&Q to Selfridges and Harrods between December 2014 and June 2022.
Three vehicles feature in the Crown’s list of charges: £16,489 allegedly put towards a Volkswagen Golf for personal use in early 2016; allegedly creating a false invoice after spending £57,500 of party funds towards a Jaguar I-Pace in 2019.
Mr Murrell was also accused of falsifying documents for the purchase of a £124,550 motorhome in 2020.
Mr Murrell was charged in connection with the embezzlement of SNP funds
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PAAccording to the indictment, the former head of the SNP is also accused of falsely portraying £18,409 in legitimate business expenses.
Mr Murrell is also accused of one instance of using his SNP credit card or charge card to pay a £30 parking fine in October 2019 and spending £701 on an iPad in June 2021.
The 61-year-old was arrested in April 2023 as part of Police Scotland’s Operation Brancform investigation.
Subsequent arrests were made of party treasurer Colin Beattie and Ms Sturgeon.
However, Mr Beattie and Ms Sturgeon were both released without charge.
Police Scotland later confirmed neither remained suspects in the Operation Branchform investigation.
Mr Murrell was re-arrested in April 2024 and formally charged with embezzlement on the same day.