Former SNP Chief Executive Peter Murrell has pleaded guilty to the embezzlement of over £400,000, precipitating a series of political disputes regarding institutional oversight and personal accountability.

前 SNP 首席執行長 Peter Murrell 已承認侵吞超過 40 萬英鎊，引發一系列關於機構監督與個人責任的政治爭議。

The legal proceedings center on the admission by Peter Murrell that between August 2010 and October 2022, he diverted £400,310.65 from the Scottish National Party to procure luxury assets, including vehicles, a motorhome, and high-end electronics. Following a multi-year investigation designated as Operation Branchform, Murrell has been remanded in custody pending sentencing. Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell characterized the evidence gathered as compelling, noting the methodical nature of the financial crime unit's inquiry.

法律程序集中在 Peter Murrell 的承認，他承認在 2010 年 8 月至 2022 年 10 月期間，將 400,310.65 英鎊從蘇格蘭民族黨挪用，用以購買豪華資產，包括車輛、露營車及高階電子產品。經過一項名為「分枝行動」（Operation Branchform）的多年調查後，Murrell 已被還押候判。蘇格蘭警察總長 Jo Farrell 指出搜集到的證據十分充分，並強調財務犯罪小組的調查過程非常系統化。

Political friction has ensued within the Scottish Parliament concerning the necessity of a formal inquiry. Anas Sarwar, leader of Scottish Labour, posited that a parliamentary probe is requisite to examine a perceived culture of opacity within the SNP. This position is echoed by Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay, who suggested that the leadership may have enabled Murrell's conduct and called for the Crown Office to disclose its prosecutorial rationale. Furthermore, speculation persists regarding the potential misappropriation of Electoral Commission grants, which could necessitate a Westminster-led investigation.

蘇格蘭議會內部針對是否需要進行正式調查而產生政治摩擦。蘇格蘭工黨領袖 Anas Sarwar 主張，必須進行議會調查以審查 SNP 內部被認為不透明的文化。蘇格蘭保守黨領袖 Russell Findlay 呼應此觀點，他暗示領導層可能縱容了 Murrell 的行為，並要求檢察機關披露起訴理據。此外，關於可能挪用選舉委員會撥款的揣測依然存在，這可能導致需要由威斯敏斯特主導的調查。

First Minister John Swinney has formally rejected these calls for a Holyrood inquiry, asserting that the exhaustive nature of the police investigation renders further parliamentary scrutiny redundant. Concurrently, former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has maintained her innocence, stating she was completely exonerated by the police. In public statements, she characterized her lack of knowledge regarding the embezzlement as a result of her professional obligations and the couple's combined high income, describing her experience as one of personal betrayal and deception.

首席大臣 John Swinney 正式拒絕了在 Holyrood 進行調查的呼籲，聲稱警方調查之詳盡程度使得進一步的議會審查變得多餘。與此同時，前首席大臣 Nicola Sturgeon 堅持自己清白，表示警方已完全洗清其嫌疑。在公開聲明中，她將自己對侵吞行為不知情歸因於其專業職責以及夫婦二人高額的合計收入，並將其經歷描述為一種個人背叛與欺騙。

Mr. Murrell remains in custody awaiting sentencing, while the Scottish government continues to oppose the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry into the party's internal culture.

Murrell 先生仍被還押候判，而蘇格蘭政府則繼續反對成立議會調查委員會以審查該黨的內部文化。