I’ve just recorded an episode of the BBC ScotCast podcast, which should “drop”, as we say in the media biz, around teatime tonight. It focused largely on issues around Operation Branchform, and the fact that only one of the two crimes it concerned has been resolved.
Time always flies when you’re having fun, so I ended up not being able to fit in half the stuff I wanted to say in the 40 minutes I chatted with Martin Geissler (which will likely shrink to fit into the 30-minute broadcast slot by the time they’ve edited all the most libellous bits out).
And one of those things was the bewildering fact that the investigation into the SNP’s finances went on for two years before the police stumbled into the second crime, and the only one that’s actually concluded – Peter Murrell’s embezzlement from the SNP. Because the first crime ought to have been all but done and dusted in 24 hours max.
Alert readers will have found it hard not to notice that Wings is currently focused on trying to solve one mystery above all others: why nobody has been prosecuted for a massive theft of hundreds of thousands of pounds, which took place in open sight, beyond any dispute, and is openly admitted by someone who was there at the time.
Until this week, nobody in the two organisations responsible for criminal prosecutions in the country – Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (the Crown Office or COPFS for short) had issued any sort of explanation of why the original Operation Branchform investigation apparently fell by the wayside when it led police to discover a second crime: that of embezzlement against the SNP by its then-Chief Executive, Peter Murrell.
But this week, with very little fanfare, the BBC quietly put out two extended interviews with senior representatives of those organisations, seemingly the unused footage from their half-hour televised documentary “Peter Murrell: The Man With The Money”.
This is the letter the SNP sent donors to the ringfenced 2017 fundraiser.
The terms are right there in the first sentence, and repeated several more times. The money will be “ring fenced for a future referendum”. It’s to “build up a sizeable war chest to fight the campaign when the time comes”. It’s to “ensure we are not outspent in the referendum campaign”.
There is no ambiguity in the email. There’s no mention of the SNP anywhere except in Jim Henderson’s email address. No suggestion whatsoever that the money could be used by the SNP for anything but a referendum campaign.
These are the people whose job it was to stop the leadership of the SNP from stealing almost £700,000 of “ringfenced” fundraiser money from independence supporters, and who utterly failed at that job.
It was also their job to stop Peter Murrell stealing the best part of £500,000 from the SNP, in a separate but related crime, and they failed at that one too.
A small handful of them (marked with red asterisks, but see postscript below) tried their best to do their duties, and were blocked primarily by one powerful woman – Nicola Sturgeon – and a room full of cowards, weaklings and bullies, listed above.
But as Peter Murrell begins a five-years-and-three-months prison sentence – more than we were expecting, in truth – let’s not lose sight of the key fact that the theft of hundreds of thousands of pounds of independence supporters’ money by the SNP, which accidentally exposed Murrell’s entirely separate crime of theft FROM the SNP, has still not been answered for by anyone.
Be assured, readers, that Wings won’t rest until it is.
Our first letter was answered/dismissed by “Service Adviser 1989847”, so this reply to our second one, while it doesn’t say much, definitely feels like a step up.
Our KC has offered all possible assistance to the Cyber and Fraud Unit in relation to the matter, and we’ll keep you posted with any developments, readers.
Young Lochinvar on Anything But That: “NC Stopped reading at “the UK constitution is recognised by the UK Supreme Court”. Kind of says it all really..” Sep 6, 18:02
TURABDIN on Anything But That: “Strategy and a preternatural understanding of the opponent. WOW….if only.” Sep 6, 17:59
factchecker on Anything But That: “Just repeating this because it’s the best summary I’ve seen in years. Well done, Northy. “Independence requires maturity, realism, and…” Sep 6, 17:09
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “sam likes to present ideas as evidence and conjecture as fact. He never quotes any source until he’s satisfied its…” Sep 6, 16:52
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “” That is the opinion at least of the European Journal of International Law.” Who cares? You still do not…” Sep 6, 16:49
TURABDIN on Anything But That: “IN THE IDEALIST’S UNIVERSE MAYBE. In the messy actuality any minority within a larger state cannot rely on the principle…” Sep 6, 16:47
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “I don’t know how you’re doing this, Northy, and I don’t care that much. Just stop reading my mind.” Sep 6, 16:35
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “The starship to Alpha Centauri left without him. The next one’s not due for 500 years. So he has no…” Sep 6, 16:27
Northcode on Anything But That: ““I think your final paragraph needs to be amended…” No – it doesn’t. Read it again.” Sep 6, 16:03
Northcode on Anything But That: “I support Scottish independence, but I’ve grown weary of the flawed rhetoric deployed in its name. When a movement clings…” Sep 6, 15:50
sam on Anything But That: “I think your final paragraph needs to be amended. Scottish people need to be able to hold a referendum at…” Sep 6, 15:46
Northcode on Anything But That: ““The UK Constitution…A bit of a myth that, point me to the stirring single document…” I’m not sure of the…” Sep 6, 15:44
Young Lochinvar on Anything But That: “B Top ten in spending on military eh? I wonder how much of that is spent on the money-pit “nuclear…” Sep 6, 15:31
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “The UN is the record keeper of war. They list the conflicts in the world, keep records, take statements, give…” Sep 6, 15:17
Young Lochinvar on Anything But That: “NC The UK Constitution.. A bit of a myth that, point me to the stirring single document will you? I’d…” Sep 6, 14:59
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “Any relation to Darius the Great? “subjugated Thrace and forced Macedon to become a fully subordinate client kingdom within the…” Sep 6, 14:59
agentx on Anything But That: “Ultimately, while pro-independence groups look to the UN Charter as an overarching moral and political justification for independence, the UN’s…” Sep 6, 14:11
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “Shut up and eat your Lembas bread. You pointy eared trouble maker.” Sep 6, 14:00
Mark Beggan on Anything But That: “I thought it would be obvious. He has the woke disease. The symptoms can be quite easy to spot; Constant…” Sep 6, 13:57
Insider on Anything But That: “Bloody hell, Northy ! You’re beginning to talk sense for a change ! What happened to you ?” Sep 6, 12:57
Captain Caveman on Anything But That: “So it’s true then: Alf’s much-vaunted UN delusion will achieve… … “Hee-Haw”, to coin a phrase. I’m sure much of…” Sep 6, 12:57
sam on Anything But That: “The Convention declaration does not change the legal position. The claim of right was debated in the HoC and Sec…” Sep 6, 12:36
Northcode on Anything But That: “For those who might have fallen under the delusion that the United Nations is planning to liberate the Scots from…” Sep 6, 12:27
James Che on Anything But That: “Bilbo, Without a active 1707 treaty between Scotland and England, Scotland is not in a national debt situation with the…” Sep 6, 12:25
sam on Anything But That: “But… another one ” We, gathered as the Scottish Constitutional Convention, do hereby acknowledge the sovereign right of the Scottish…” Sep 6, 12:21
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “What’s the point? Even if we managed to fit it up for serious sexual assault, it would be out again…” Sep 6, 12:21
James Che on Anything But That: “Bilbo. Here is another thought to mull over, If Scotland is a independent Country since the 1707 treaty of unions…” Sep 6, 12:17
Hatey McHateface on Anything But That: “Of course! Duh! But it requires a hard-nosed realism at odds with the feel good vibes that an entire generation…” Sep 6, 12:16
Northcode on Anything But That: ““So what happens now the treaty of union has passed its sell by date…” Well… we could have it framed…” Sep 6, 12:08
