Getty ImagesJohn Swinney faced questions about the scandal at First Minister's Questions John Swinney has rejected calls for a Holyrood inquiry into former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, who admitted this week to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party.
Murrell, the estranged husband of Nicola Sturgeon, is facing a lengthy jail sentence after pleading guilty on Monday.
Swinney was urged by Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar to back a parliamentary probe at the inaugural First Minister's Questions after the election.
The SNP leader said he did not believe an inquiry was needed following a five-year "forensic" police investigation.
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Murrell, who was SNP chief executive between 2001 and 2023, admitted that he had embezzled more than £400,000 from the party over a 12-year-period.
He spent the money on a motorhome, cars and hundreds of other items including jewellery and luxury goods, some of which were gifted to Sturgeon.
Murrell is due to be sentenced next month.
Sturgeon was arrested and released without charge in June 2023 - but was later told by officers that she was no longer under investigation.
PA MediaNicola Sturgeon has denied wrongdoing following her estranged husband's guilty pleaSarwar said a Holyrood inquiry - in the mould of the probe into the Scottish government's botched handling of sexual harassment complaints against Alex Salmond - was needed to investigate the SNP's culture of "cover-up and secrecy".
He accused Swinney of having helped to "build, enable and defend" that culture.
Sarwar told MSPs: "Yes, Peter Murrell is responsible for his crimes, but secrecy and cover-up go far beyond one individual or one case.
"At its heart is an SNP culture where secrecy became normal, dissent dangerous, and people learnt that speaking out carried a heavy price, all while those at the top of the SNP machine operated without scrutiny."
He said that an inquiry would "look at the culture, the process of decision-making, and lessons for the future".
The Labour MSP added: "It's to answer the many questions that the public have."
But Swinney rejected that call, accusing Sarwar of "victim blaming".
He told parliament: "I do not think there is anything a parliamentary inquiry can add to a five-year forensic police investigation that has resulted in the successful prosecution of an individual and his guilty plea."
The first minister reiterated his condemnation of Murrell's crime and said he was "appalled" by his conduct.
He told MSPs the government would concentrate on the "priorities of the people", including bringing down NHS waiting lists, expanding funded childcare and providing support to first-time buyers.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay claimed that Swinney and Sturgeon had "enabled" Murrell.
"Sturgeon warned SNP members to stop asking difficult questions, and John Swinney assured everyone that the SNP's finances were sound," he told parliament.
"Their shield of protection gave Murrell a licence to steal, and people want to know why Nicola Sturgeon was not in the dock beside her husband."
Findlay called for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to publish its reasoning for its prosecution decisions on the case.
The Scottish Tory leader also cited reports that taxpayer funds from the Electoral Commission - which distributes policy development money to parties - could have been embezzled by Murrell.
That has led to speculation of a Westminster-led inquiry into Murrell's use of taxpayer funds.
'Respect for the judicial system'
Swinney said that "the highest standards" had been applied to the "deep and forensic criminal investigation" into Murrell, adding that the Crown Office does not disclose the rationale for its decisions.
He told MSPs: "If Mr Findlay had a shred of decency about him, he would express his respect for the judicial system in Scotland."
The first minister denied that any public funds had been used by Murrell, stating that Electoral Commission grants were only handed over once the SNP had submitted an "audited report" of how the funds would be used.
Sturgeon, who resigned as first minister in March 2023 and stepped down from parliament at this month's election, issued a statement through her lawyers on Monday.
She said: "I want to reiterate that I had no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that personal items had been purchased using SNP funds."
The former first minister said she unaware of many of the purchases, including the campervan, until they were brought up in the police investigation.
She added: "In respect of any items I was aware of Peter having purchased, I had no reason to doubt that he had used his own money."
Sturgeon is due to make her first public appearance since Murrell's guilty plea at a book event in Ireland later.
She announced last year that the pair were separating after more than 20 years of marriage.
