Nicola Sturgeon challenged on Trump
The Scottish Greens have challenged Nicola Sturgeon to finally investigate Donald Trump’s acquisition of golf courses in Scotland.
The First Minister previously told Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie that seeking an Unexplained Wealth Order on the acquisition of the Turnberry golf course was not in her power, but legal advice published by campaign group Avaaz has revealed that she can seek one.
On the day that Donald Trump leaves office as US President, Mr Harvie challenged the First Minister at FMQs to “stop hiding behind officials” and begin a UWO, also known as a ‘McMafia’ order.
Patrick Harvie said: “From today, Donald Trump will no longer be the US President, and his business activities are under criminal investigation in the US. Yet his purchases in Scotland have still not been investigated, despite serious concerns about how they were funded.
“The Greens have long called for these deals to be investigated using an Unexplained Wealth Order. Whenever we raise this, the First Minister has told us that it’s not her decision to make, but it is now clear this power lies with her and her cabinet.
“This advice was sent to the First Minister at the weekend. It’s long past time the Scottish Government demonstrated that Scotland cannot be a country where anyone with the money can buy whatever land and property they want, no questions asked.”
The ‘McMafia’ order is a power brought into force in January 2018 and allows ministers to instruct investigation of the finances of someone from outside the European Economic Area in a position of power that makes them liable to bribery or corruption.