Peter Murrell, the husband of former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, has been re-arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into the finances of the Scottish National Party (SNP). The 59-year-old was originally arrested in April 2023 as a suspect and subsequently released without charge. He has now been taken into police custody for further questioning.
Mr Murrell resigned as the SNP’s Chief Executive in March 2023. He was arrested as part of Operation Branchform – a major investigation into the party’s funding and finances. Earlier this year, SNP treasurer Colin Beattie was also arrested by police and later resigned from his position. Nicola Sturgeon herself was arrested in June, but subsequently released without charge.
Police Scotland launched a formal investigation into the SNP’s finances last year after receiving complaints about how donations were used. Questions had been raised about more than £600,000 in donations given to the party for use in a fresh independence referendum campaign.
Police previously searched the house that Mr Murrell shares with Ms Sturgeon in Glasgow, as well as the SNP headquarters in Edinburgh, when he was first arrested in April last year. A camper van was also seized from outside the Fife home of Mr Murrell’s mother.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) have provided initial advice and guidance to Police Scotland, but the Crown have not yet received a standard prosecution report from the police. The investigation is still ongoing, and the public have been advised to exercise caution when discussing it on social media
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More