Lord Advocate called into Scottish Parliament to answer questions over Crown’s handling of MP property deals case

The Lord Advocate will be called into the Scottish Parliament tomorrow to answer questions over the Crown’s handling of a case relating to “alleged irregularities relating to property deals” carried out on behalf of MP Michelle Thomson.

Scottish Labour MSP Jackie Baillie welcomed presiding officer Tricia Marwick’s decision to select her topical question, concerning when the Crown Office was first notified of the allegations against Thomson’s former solicitor.

Police Scotland last week confirmed it has been instructed by the Crown Office to launch an investigation into “alleged irregularities relating to property deals” following the Tribunal which saw SNP MP Michelle Thomson’s solicitor struck off by the Law Society for professional misconduct.

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Thomson’s solicitor, Chris Hales, was struck off by the Law Society after a ruling by the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal in May 2014 – a year before Thomson became MP for Edinburgh West – after being found guilty of professional misconduct in carrying out property deals on behalf of Thomson and her business partner.

In a press conference, Law Society chief executive Lorna Jack, said the Society had twice raised the case “informally” with the Crown Office as part of routine quarterly meetings – first in December 2014, and then again in April 2015.

But the Crown only instructed Police Scotland to investigate “alleged irregularities relating to property deals” on 9 July 2015, seven months after first being notified informally of the case.

Marwick’s decision to select the topical question means Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland, chief legal officer of the Scottish Government and the Crown in Scotland, will appear in Parliament for questioning.

Baillie MSP said: “This is a welcome move from the Presiding Officer; big questions still need to be answered on this case.

“Questions not only about the involvement of SNP politicians in predatory property deals but the role of the Crown Office – why did they have to be informed on three separate occasions before launching an investigation?

“What did the Lord Advocate see the third time which he didn’t the first which finally persuaded him this case needed to be investigated?

“Tomorrow the Lord Advocate can clarify these matters, and bring some more transparency to a case which currently has more questions than answers.”

A lawyer acting for Thomson has contacted Police Scotland to express her wish to assist the ongoing investigation.

In a statement the Law Society said: “The case itself presented us with an unusual set of circumstances - it is rare for a misconduct case against a solicitor to have to be taken further following tribunal proceedings.

“We will examine our processes to see if there are any improvements we can make in how we report findings from the SSDT to the Crown Office where there are concerns that there may have been criminal activity. We plan to work with the SSDT and the Crown Office in particular to improve how information of this nature can be shared more quickly if and when required.”