GLASGOW: Peter Murrel, the husband of former Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon has been held as part of a probe into the funding of the province’s ruling Scottish National Party (SNP). The party is seeking independence from the United Kingdom.
Police Scotland disclosed on Wednesday that it had arrested a 58-year-old man as a suspect, and its personnel was carrying out operations at a number of addresses linked to the probe.
Murrell, 58, who quit as the SNP’s chief executive in March, was taken into police custody in the morning, as per an anonymous party official.
A marked police vehicle was parked outside the couple’s Glasgow home, which was sealed off with police tape, while a blue-colored tent had also been placed outside the residence.
The police force’s statement stated that the man was in custody and was being interrogated by the detectives of Police Scotland.
A spokesperson representing Sturgeon said it would be inappropriate to say anything regarding a live police probe.
The spokesperson said that Nicola Sturgeon had no beforehand knowledge of Police Scotland’s operation or its motives. Ms. Sturgeon will fully cooperate with the police force (Police Scotland) if needed; however, at present, no such request has been made.
Police probing funds raised by SNP independence campaigners
The police probe is looking at what happened to over 600,000 pounds ($750,000) raised by campaigners for Scottish independence in 2017, which was meant to have been put aside but may have been utilized for some other purpose.
The party’s accounts that were published by the independent Electoral Commission watchdog showed that at the end of 2018, the SNP had around 411,000 pounds in cash or other assets equivalent to cash.
The SNP also said it would not be right to make a statement on any active police probe, but it has been fully cooperating with it.
