SCOTTISH Labour have called for "full transparency" from the SNP over the questionable property dealings of a newly-elected nationalist MP.
Michelle Thomson, the party’s shadow minister for business, innovation and skills, has been accused of taking advantage of vulnerable families by building a property portfolio worth about £1.7 million by buying homes at knockdown prices from families struggling to pay their mortgages.
A solicitor, Christopher Hales, who acted for the Edinburgh West MP and her husband, has been struck off for professional misconduct over his part in 13 deals involving Ms Thomson or M&F Property Solutions, of which she was a partner.
According to a ruling by the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal, a full version of which has been published by The Sunday Times, Mr Hales failed to provide key information to mortgage lenders in breach of guidelines designed to prevent fraud in numerous cases.
Scottish Labour's Public Services spokeswoman Jackie Baillie said: "These are very serious allegations about an SNP MP who is at the heart of business policy decision making in the party. We need full transparency from the people at the very top of the SNP about who knew what and when.
"Was the First Minister made aware of these allegations before they were made public? Did party officials know about these allegations before Michelle Thomson was selected as a candidate? Will Michelle Thomson remain on the front bench whilst these allegations are investigated?"
A spokeswoman for Ms Thomson said Ms Baillie was "misunderstanding" the transactions, adding that they involved vendors who had been trying to sell for some time and were "relieved" to get a sale of their properties. She added that all the legal documents were in the public domain and parties had been represented by several different solicitors.
In one of the deals, a pensioner with cancer who was desperate to return to England to be with her family sold her home in Stirling to former journalist and business partner of Ms Thomson, Frank Gilbride, for £64,000 in 2010.
Ms Thomson bought the property for £95,000 the same day, and received a "cashback" of £28,181.80 from Mr Gilbride.
Mr Hales, who facilitated the deal, did not tell the mortgage lender that Mr Gilbride had owned the property for less than six months or inform them of the cashback payment, as he should have done under guidelines.
A ruling by the Scottish Solicitors’ Discipline Tribunal stated that Mr Hales "must have been aware that there was a possibility he was facilitating mortgage fraud, whether or not this occurred" and that "the central role of Mrs Thomson and M&F Property Solutions... should have set alarm bells ringing".
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland, asked whether it was investigating Ms Thomson or Mr Hales, said: "We have not received any complaint of this nature at this time, and are therefore not currently carrying out an investigation."
A spokeswoman for Ms Thomson said: "Miss Baillie misunderstands these transactions. Vendors who had being trying to sell, sometimes for years due to a lack of mortgage availability were relieved to finally get a sale of their property.
"Vendors signed the legal documents to enable a sale to go through and which are in the public domain. Several different solicitors served vendors or purchasers and were fully licensed and qualified to do so at that time.''
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