Police Scotland arrest former SNP general secretary for second time

April 18 () –

The Scottish Police arrested this Thursday the former general secretary of the Scottish National Party (SNP) Peter Murrell, husband of the former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, as part of the investigation into the party's finances in relation to the campaign in favor of an independence referendum.

“The man, who had previously been arrested as a suspect on April 5, 2023, was arrested at 9:13 a.m. and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives,” the Scottish police force said in a statement.

Murrell, 59, was arrested more than a year ago and released without charge after being accused of having lent money from his own pocket to the SNP – more than £107,000 in June 2021 – to clean up finances after the latest elections, although the party defended that the amount was returned and that it was a “personal contribution.”

As part of the case, the Scottish Police searched the home of his partner, Nicola Sturgeon, the then Chief Minister of Scotland, who resigned in February after a mandate marked by the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union, the repeated demands for a second independence referendum and the controversies around the 'trans law'.

Sturgeon was arrested in connection with the case and released without charge. “It is evident that I have not committed any crime is as surprising as it is deeply disturbing,” he defended then, adding that “innocence is not just a presumption” to which he is entitled by law,” emphasizing that “beyond any doubt” it was innocent.

The formation's treasurer Colin Beattie was also arrested and released without charge.

The SNP's finances have been the subject of suspicion in recent years, mainly following complaints made in 2021 and related to donations. In particular, questions have been raised regarding the funding the party has received for a potential new independence referendum campaign.

Sturgeon, who at no time attributed her resignation to these suspicions, defended the transparency of the accounts and the funds raised for the hypothetical independence consultation, close to 667,000 pounds between 2017 and 2020 alone.