Feb. 13 (UPI) -- Peter Murrell, the former CEO of the Scottish National Party, has been accused of embezzling more than $626,000 over a 12-year period, an indictment made public Friday indicates.
Murrell, 61, is expected to appear in a preliminary hearing at Glasgow's High Court in Edinburgh on May 25. He is accused of embezzling the funds from the political party's accounts Aug. 12, 2010, through Jan. 13, 2023.
He initially had a preliminary hearing scheduled on Feb. 20 in Glasgow, but the court and date were changed.
A police investigation dubbed Operation Branchform led to Murrell's arrest in 2023, and he was charged in April 2024.
Prosecutors allege that Murrell used the funds to buy a motorhome, two vehicles, jewelry, luxury items and cosmetics, as initially reported by The Scottish Sun.
