Nicola Sturgeon: Former first minister arrested in SNP finances inquiryon June 11, 2023 at 2:43 pm

Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the SNP.

Police confirmed a 52-year-old woman was taken into custody as a suspect and is being questioned by detectives.

It follows the arrest and subsequent release of her husband, ex-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, in April.

A spokeswoman for Ms Sturgeon confirmed she had attended a police interview by arrangement on Sunday.

The former SNP leader, who stood down in March, was then arrested and questioned.

The spokeswoman said: “Nicola Sturgeon has today, Sunday 11 June, by arrangement with Police Scotland, attended an interview where she was to be arrested and questioned in relation to Operation Branchform.

“Nicola has consistently said she would cooperate with the investigation if asked and continues to do so.”

Officers searched Ms Sturgeon’s home and the SNP’s headquarters in Edinburgh on 5 April, with Mr Murrell being arrested before later being released without charge pending further investigation.

A luxury motorhome which sells for about £110,000 was also seized by police from outside the home of Mr Murrell’s mother in Dunfermline.

Almost two weeks later, SNP treasurer Colin Beattie was also arrested and released without charge while further inquiries were carried out.

Mr Beattie resigned as party treasurer shortly afterwards.

Ms Sturgeon, Mr Murrell and Mr Beattie were the three signatories on the SNP’s accounts.

Under the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2016, police can release a suspect for further investigation, but they can be re-arrested at a later date.

A spokesman for the SNP said the party would not comment on Ms Sturgeon’s arrest, adding: “These issues are subject to a live police investigation.

“The SNP have been cooperating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so however it is not appropriate to publicly address any issues while that investigation is ongoing.”

Ms Sturgeon served as Scotland’s first minister for more than eight years after succeeding Alex Salmond in the wake of the independence referendum in 2014.

She announced on 15 February that she would be standing down as both SNP leader and first minister once a successor was elected, with Humza Yousaf winning the contest to replace her.

Ms Sturgeon said at the time that she knew “in my head and in my heart” that it was the right time to go, and has denied the timing was influenced by the ongoing police investigation.

She was Scotland’s the longest-serving first minister and the only woman to have held the position.

Police launched their Operation Branchform investigation two years ago after complaints were made about what happened to £666,954 that was donated to the SNP by activists for a future independence referendum campaign

The party’s accounts later accounts showed it had just under £97,000 in the bank at the end of 2019, and total net assets of about £272,000.

Last year it emerged Mr Murrell gave a loan of more than £100,000 to the SNP to help it out with a “cash flow” issue after the last election.

The SNP had repaid about half of the loan by October of that year, but still owes money to Mr Murrell – although it has not said how much.

The timing might have come as a surprise.

But within the political bubble at Holyrood, most people have been wondering when, rather than if, the former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon would be asked to help police with their inquiries.

Operation Branchform, the investigation into the SNP’s finances, has already seen her husband, Peter Murrell, the party’s former chief executive and the SNP’s former treasurer Colin Beattie arrested for questioning.

Both were released without charge pending further inquiries.

As the third signatory to the party’s accounts, it seemed inevitable that Nicola Sturgeon would be required to answer questions at some point.