Sturgeon's husband granted legal aid in SNP embezzlement case
Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive who faces a charge of embezzlement, has had an application for legal aid approved by the Scottish Legal Aid Board.
Liam Kerr MSP, the Scottish Conservative shadow justice secretary, said: 'It will stick in the throats of hard-pressed Scots that they're picking up the tab... especially at a time when his party have squeezed the legal aid budget.'
Jackie Baillie, the Scottish Labour deputy leader, said: 'Taxpayers will be scratching their heads at why they should have to foot the bill for Peter Murrell.'
Mr Murrell, 60, was first arrested in April 2023 as part of the police investigation into the SNP's finances. He appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in March where he faced a charge of embezzlement, making no plea.
Until he stood down in 2023 during the leadership race to succeed Ms Sturgeon, Mr Murrell had been the chief executive of the SNP for more than 20 years.
No payments made so far
The Scottish Legal Aid Board said no payments have been made so far following a successful application for solemn legal aid by Mr Murrell's lawyers on April 30.
Legal aid is usually granted to those who cannot afford to pay for legal help themselves, though in some cases they still need to make their own contribution.
Mr Murrell was reportedly on an annual salary of almost £80,000 as the chief executive of the SNP from 1999 to 2023. He quit after his head of communications claimed he had been given inflated membership numbers by party headquarters.
Mr Murrell was later arrested as part of a police investigation into the SNP's finances that centred around £600,000 of funding the SNP pledged to spend on independence campaigning.
In April last year, Police Scotland said Mr Murrell had been charged 'in connection with the embezzlement of funds from the Scottish National Party'.
'Application met tests we have to apply'
A spokesman for the Scottish Legal Aid Board said: 'When assessing an applicant's eligibility for legal aid, we look at their financial position at the time of their application to ensure they meet tests set by legal aid legislation.
'This includes information they give us about their salary, the amount of money they have in the bank and any investments, which might be available to fund their own defence privately. Peter Murrell's application met the tests we have to apply when deciding whether to grant legal aid.'
Earlier this year, Ms Sturgeon announced she and Mr Murrell had 'decided to end' their marriage.
In a social media post, Ms Sturgeon said the pair had been separated for some time and said the decision to end the marriage had been made 'with a heavy heart'.
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