Murrell was granted legal aid last year after his personal assets were frozen as part of the investigation. We check all bills carefully and only pay what is allowed under the legal aid rules.” Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell (Image: Derek McArthur)Solicitors reviewed hundreds of witness statements and more than 1,000 individual items embezzled by Murrell over his 12-year embezzlement spree. Stephen Kerr, justice spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives, said Murrell’s legal aid bill was an “obscene misuse of public money”. “This is an obscene misuse of public money and a damning indictment of the SNP’s broken legal aid system.