Nicola Sturgeon has dismissed suggestions that Michelle Thomson should have highlighted her link to allegedly irregular property deals during her SNP selection process.
The first minister was questioned on the idea that the Edinburgh West MP – who denies any wrongdoing – knew her lawyer had been struck off when she decided to stand.
She added yesterday: “She denies all of these allegations so there was nothing for her to have brought to the attention of the (selection) committee.”
Ms Thomson has surrendered the SNP whip until the police investigation into disgraced lawyer Christopher Hales – who acted for her before she was elected – is concluded.
The transactions, in July last year, led to him being struck off by the Law Society, which referred the case to the Crown Office. A police investigation has since been launched.
Ms Thomson was selected to stand for the SNP after the referendum in September 2014.
She was officially announced as the SNP’s candidate for Edinburgh West in April 2015, and was elected on May 7.
Ms Sturgeon said Ms Thomson, who she described as a “vigorous and compassionate campaigner”, had not told her whether she knew what happened with her solicitor during the selection process.
The SNP leader said: “I didn’t know about the allegations that I now know about, and I think that is an important point to make.
“It’s also an important point to make, and it is one that I have made repeatedly and I know it’s unfashionable, but she is entitled right now to the presumption of innocence.
“Allegations have been made. There is a police investigation under way into property transactions that she was party to, and I think before we reach any conclusions in terms of this issue we should allow this investigation to reach its conclusion.”
But north-east MSP Lewis Macdonald insisted – leaving the criminal investigation aside – there was a moral case to answer.
He added: “There’s another issue which is the way in which Michelle Thomson sought to make money at the expense of vulnerable families.
“Nicola Sturgeon has not answered that yet. She will have to answer it sooner or later.”