The Scottish Conservatives have outlined thirteen questions they believe should be examined by any future inquiry into the Peter Murrell scandal.

The intervention comes as the Westminster Scottish Affairs Committee considers whether to launch an investigation into issues surrounding governance and financial oversight within the SNP following Murrell’s conviction for embezzlement.

Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said any inquiry should seek answers to a number of unresolved questions, including:

• Why Peter Murrell was the only person prosecuted as part of Operation Branchform.

• What Police Scotland and the National Crime Agency’s view was on Nicola Sturgeon not being prosecuted.

• Whether any public money received by the SNP was stolen.

• The circumstances surrounding Murrell’s plea deal and the removal of charges from the indictment.

• Why Murrell was permitted to plead guilty shortly after the Scottish election.

• Whether Murrell and Nicola Sturgeon discussed the timing or terms of the plea deal.

• Why Murrell received legal aid despite owning a share in a property in Portugal.

• Why there was no prosecution relating to the missing £600,000 independence campaign fund.

• Whether a £50,000 donation to the SNP was linked to the selection of an MP candidate.

• Whether Nicola Sturgeon will release her written statement to police.

• Whether items purchased using stolen money will be disclosed and surrendered.

• Whether Police Scotland searched for Nicola Sturgeon’s DNA inside the campervan seized during the investigation.

• Whether assurances given by John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon regarding SNP finances helped enable Murrell’s crimes.

Russell Findlay said:

“As the SNP’s prince of darkness, John Swinney is taking the people of Scotland for idiots by playing the victim in this monumental scandal.

“He’s doing everything possible to block a parliamentary inquiry because he’s terrified of what it will find out, including how he helped to enable Peter Murrell’s crime spree by assuring SNP members that the finances were sound.

“A full and fearless inquiry is critical and that’s why I’m setting out 13 of the many unanswered questions that it should address.

“Everyone knows that Swinney is too weak to do the right thing because he’s unable to stand up to Nicola Sturgeon.”

The Scottish Affairs Committee has yet to decide whether a formal inquiry will proceed.

Any investigation would likely examine governance arrangements, financial controls and the circumstances that allowed the offences committed by Murrell to take place.

The issue continues to generate political debate at both Westminster and Holyrood, with opposition parties calling for greater transparency while SNP figures have questioned the need for further investigations following the conclusion of criminal proceedings.