Money clawed back by prosecutors from any assets owned by Peter Murrell would not flow directly back to John Swinney's party, a leading KC explained.
Money clawed back by prosecutors from any assets owned by Peter Murrell would not flow directly back to John Swinney's party, a leading KC explained.
Thomas Ross KC said the Crown "is not in the business of selling houses" so any sell-off of the home co-owned by the former chief executive on the eastern edge of Glasgow would likely need to be agreed by all parties in advance - but such a sale would "make sense" for Sturgeon and Murrell, Ross added. The lawyer also repeated that under Proceeds of Crime laws, anything recovered would go to the UK Government and not SNP members.
"The Crown Office is not in the business of selling houses, so it’s the last thing they want to do," Ross told the "But it’s not usually people like him, it’s usually drug dealers…and the only way they can get in is by selling the house, it seems that there are other options here. So they would probably agree with the Crown to sell the house.
"Neither can sell it just now due to the inhibition order. So it makes sense from them all to agree to a sale and do it that way. Once the order is settled the money doesn’t go to the SNP, it goes to the UK Government and not the victim.
"Ross added: "This case is different, because what you’ve got here is a lot of realisable assets, so the Crown will have had the assets valued, and they will add them up, and that will be the recoverable amount. "Then the court makes an order say for £400,000.
Then it’s really down to him and the Crown how he pays that amount.
"Obviously he’s not getting any of the assets back, so supposing the assets could be sold for £200,000, he still owes them £200,000. If he’s got that lying about and he can pay it, then obviously there’s not an issue in relation to the house, but if he doesn’t, then they might have to consider selling the house.
Scottish National Party Scottish Government Peter Murrell
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