This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/04/scotland-legal-bodies-to-discuss-mp-michelle-thomson-suspicious-property-deals
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Scotland legal bodies to discuss handling of MP Michelle Thomson's suspicious property deals | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Scotland’s top legal bodies are to hold an emergency meeting over the unfolding scandal surrounding suspicious property deals linked to former Scottish National party business spokeswoman Michelle Thomson. | Scotland’s top legal bodies are to hold an emergency meeting over the unfolding scandal surrounding suspicious property deals linked to former Scottish National party business spokeswoman Michelle Thomson. |
| Executives at the Law Society of Scotland, the governing body for the country’s legal profession, have been called in for crisis talks by senior prosecutors at the Crown Office to discuss their handling of evidence of alleged mortgage fraud in transactions linked to the MP for Edinburgh West. | Executives at the Law Society of Scotland, the governing body for the country’s legal profession, have been called in for crisis talks by senior prosecutors at the Crown Office to discuss their handling of evidence of alleged mortgage fraud in transactions linked to the MP for Edinburgh West. |
| The Law Society and the Crown Office came under heavy fire after it emerged that it took the Law Society four years to hand over evidence of the suspicious deals, which had led to Thomson’s property solicitor Chris Hales being struck off last year. | The Law Society and the Crown Office came under heavy fire after it emerged that it took the Law Society four years to hand over evidence of the suspicious deals, which had led to Thomson’s property solicitor Chris Hales being struck off last year. |
| The Crown Office ordered a police criminal investigation within six days of receiving the Hales dossier in July, suggesting it was deeply alarmed by the case. | The Crown Office ordered a police criminal investigation within six days of receiving the Hales dossier in July, suggesting it was deeply alarmed by the case. |
| The controversies surrounding Thomson’s property dealings deepened further on Sunday after it emerged that other lawyers and house sales have been implicated, and SNP sources admitted they were planning for a possible by-election in the closely-contested seat. | The controversies surrounding Thomson’s property dealings deepened further on Sunday after it emerged that other lawyers and house sales have been implicated, and SNP sources admitted they were planning for a possible by-election in the closely-contested seat. |
| SNP officials are now braced for revelations about the past histories of more of their 50 new MPs, with anxieties that the party’s vetting procedures failed to catch candidates with difficult histories among the surge of new members hoping to file 50 vacancies before the general election. | SNP officials are now braced for revelations about the past histories of more of their 50 new MPs, with anxieties that the party’s vetting procedures failed to catch candidates with difficult histories among the surge of new members hoping to file 50 vacancies before the general election. |
| Thomson, who was suspended by the SNP last week after she stood down as their front-bench business spokesperson at Westminster, has insisted she is innocent of any misconduct and promised she will cooperate with a police investigation. | Thomson, who was suspended by the SNP last week after she stood down as their front-bench business spokesperson at Westminster, has insisted she is innocent of any misconduct and promised she will cooperate with a police investigation. |
| Hales was banned from the legal profession in May 2014 over 13 property deals linked to Thomson and her business partners. They involved “back to back” sales, where homes – often owned by vulnerable people – were bought at below full market value and then resold at far higher prices, in some cases on the same day; where large cash sums were transferred between the parties involved; where mortgage loans were sought that were higher than the price paid for the home, and where higher prices than those actually paid were recorded in the Scottish land registry. | Hales was banned from the legal profession in May 2014 over 13 property deals linked to Thomson and her business partners. They involved “back to back” sales, where homes – often owned by vulnerable people – were bought at below full market value and then resold at far higher prices, in some cases on the same day; where large cash sums were transferred between the parties involved; where mortgage loans were sought that were higher than the price paid for the home, and where higher prices than those actually paid were recorded in the Scottish land registry. |
| Police Scotland launched an inquiry in only six days after the Crown Office was finally handed the detailed case files in the Hales case by the Law Society, some seven months from the day it first alerted prosecutors to the case. | Police Scotland launched an inquiry in only six days after the Crown Office was finally handed the detailed case files in the Hales case by the Law Society, some seven months from the day it first alerted prosecutors to the case. |
| Mortgage companies involved in those transactions, including Lloyds, which gave loans through its subsidiary Birmingham Midshires, and Virgin Money, which now owns the mortgage book for Northern Rock, which lent money for one sale, have confirmed they are now in contact with the police. | Mortgage companies involved in those transactions, including Lloyds, which gave loans through its subsidiary Birmingham Midshires, and Virgin Money, which now owns the mortgage book for Northern Rock, which lent money for one sale, have confirmed they are now in contact with the police. |
| The Sunday Times disclosed it had submitted new evidence of an unusual property transaction to Police Scotland detectives after a couple who sold a home to Thomson alleged they had £32,000 deducted from the sale proceeds to pay off a loan they had no knowledge of. | The Sunday Times disclosed it had submitted new evidence of an unusual property transaction to Police Scotland detectives after a couple who sold a home to Thomson alleged they had £32,000 deducted from the sale proceeds to pay off a loan they had no knowledge of. |
| The solicitor involved in that transaction, James Craig, had been found guilty of professional misconduct in February 2014 by the Scottish Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SSDT), the body that struck off Hales three months later, and fined £2,500 for breaching money laundering regulations. There was no evidence that Craig acted improperly in the case reported by the Sunday Times. | The solicitor involved in that transaction, James Craig, had been found guilty of professional misconduct in February 2014 by the Scottish Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SSDT), the body that struck off Hales three months later, and fined £2,500 for breaching money laundering regulations. There was no evidence that Craig acted improperly in the case reported by the Sunday Times. |
| The Sunday Mail reported that a second lawyer named in the SSDT judgment on Hales called Christopher Tulips, whose firms Strefford Tulips was involved in several deals for Thomson’s firm M&F Property Solutions, had also been censured and fined £2,500 for his role in back-to-back property deals. The published ruling by the SSDT on Tulips is anonymised, so it remains unclear whether his case involved transactions linked to Thomson. | The Sunday Mail reported that a second lawyer named in the SSDT judgment on Hales called Christopher Tulips, whose firms Strefford Tulips was involved in several deals for Thomson’s firm M&F Property Solutions, had also been censured and fined £2,500 for his role in back-to-back property deals. The published ruling by the SSDT on Tulips is anonymised, so it remains unclear whether his case involved transactions linked to Thomson. |
| With Labour calling for an independent enquiry into its conduct, the Law Society claimed last week it was not aware of any other solicitors implicated or linked to the controversy, even though it had reported both Tulips and the other censured solicitor to the SSDT. | With Labour calling for an independent enquiry into its conduct, the Law Society claimed last week it was not aware of any other solicitors implicated or linked to the controversy, even though it had reported both Tulips and the other censured solicitor to the SSDT. |
| After repeatedly refusing last week to set up an independent or full internal inquiry into its handling of the affair, Lorna Jack, the chief executive of the Law Society, confirmed the Crown Office meeting this weekend. It would “agree on how information can be more easily and effectively shared in the future”. | After repeatedly refusing last week to set up an independent or full internal inquiry into its handling of the affair, Lorna Jack, the chief executive of the Law Society, confirmed the Crown Office meeting this weekend. It would “agree on how information can be more easily and effectively shared in the future”. |
| Legal sources have also told the Guardian they expect the controversy, which is likely to lead to significant changes in reporting of alleged misconduct to prosecutors, to be very high on the agenda for a meeting later this month of the Law Society’s ruling council. | Legal sources have also told the Guardian they expect the controversy, which is likely to lead to significant changes in reporting of alleged misconduct to prosecutors, to be very high on the agenda for a meeting later this month of the Law Society’s ruling council. |
| Related: There is a property boom, especially for the SNP | Kevin McKenna | Related: There is a property boom, especially for the SNP | Kevin McKenna |
| It also emerged that Business for Scotland, the prominent pro-independence campaigns that was co-founded by Thomson before last year’s Scottish referendum, had secretly stripped Thomson of her role as a paid consultant after rows about the conflicting roles of senior figures in the campaign. | It also emerged that Business for Scotland, the prominent pro-independence campaigns that was co-founded by Thomson before last year’s Scottish referendum, had secretly stripped Thomson of her role as a paid consultant after rows about the conflicting roles of senior figures in the campaign. |
| The Sunday Herald reported the decision to cancel Thomson’s contract was covered up by Business for Scotland to protect its public image before the referendum, while Thomson was allowed to remain as managing director and spokeswoman but unpaid. | The Sunday Herald reported the decision to cancel Thomson’s contract was covered up by Business for Scotland to protect its public image before the referendum, while Thomson was allowed to remain as managing director and spokeswoman but unpaid. |
| According to leaked internal emails, her removal came after an intervention by Peter Murrell, chief executive of the SNP and husband to Nicola Sturgeon. | According to leaked internal emails, her removal came after an intervention by Peter Murrell, chief executive of the SNP and husband to Nicola Sturgeon. |
| Aamer Anwar, Thomson’s solicitor, said: “We have advised Mrs Thomson that it would be inappropriate to comment on such matters and you will appreciate that she has already volunteered to assist Police Scotland with their investigation, despite no requirement to do so. | Aamer Anwar, Thomson’s solicitor, said: “We have advised Mrs Thomson that it would be inappropriate to comment on such matters and you will appreciate that she has already volunteered to assist Police Scotland with their investigation, despite no requirement to do so. |
| “It is important to emphasise that Mrs Thomson is not a solicitor, nor is she responsible for their professional practice, the advice they tender or their regulation.” | “It is important to emphasise that Mrs Thomson is not a solicitor, nor is she responsible for their professional practice, the advice they tender or their regulation.” |
| Jackie Baillie MSP, Scottish Labour’s public services spokeswoman, said the latest disclosures brought “fresh embarrassment for the SNP over the selection of Michelle Thomson as a parliamentary candidate. We’re told she was handpicked to be the SNP’s business spokesperson by the first minister Nicola Sturgeon herself. | Jackie Baillie MSP, Scottish Labour’s public services spokeswoman, said the latest disclosures brought “fresh embarrassment for the SNP over the selection of Michelle Thomson as a parliamentary candidate. We’re told she was handpicked to be the SNP’s business spokesperson by the first minister Nicola Sturgeon herself. |
| “We also know Peter Murrell was involved in decisions around Michelle Thomson’s leadership of Business for Scotland. Yet we’re still expected to believe the first minister didn’t know anything about her background before giving her a front bench job.” | “We also know Peter Murrell was involved in decisions around Michelle Thomson’s leadership of Business for Scotland. Yet we’re still expected to believe the first minister didn’t know anything about her background before giving her a front bench job.” |