Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon ARRESTED as cops probe Scottish National Party finances
NICOLA Sturgeon has been arrested amid a police probe into the SNP’s finances.
The former First Minister is currently in custody and being questioned by detectives.
Police Scotland confirmed that a 52-year-old woman has been arrested with the ongoing investigation into the party’s cash.
Commenting a spokesperson for Nicola Sturgeon said: “Nicola Sturgeon has today, Sunday 11th 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 co-operate with the investigation if asked and continues to do so.”
SNP MP Angus MacNeil: “This soap-opera has gone far enough, Nicola Sturgeon suspended others from the SNP for an awful lot less.
“Time for political distance until the investigation ends either way.”
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland Ian Murray MP said: “This is a deeply concerning development and the Police Scotland investigation must be allowed to proceed without interference.
“For too long, a culture of secrecy and cover-up has been allowed to fester at the heart of the SNP.
“The same culture that leads to police tents in front gardens created the deeply dysfunctional government that is currently failing Scots.
“Humza Yousaf must urgently come clean on what he knows – the people of Scotland deserve answers.”
We told how Nats chiefs have been under investigation over the past 18 months after questions over nearly £500,000 of “missing” cash from an IndyRef2 online crowdfunder in 2017.
Operation Branchform was launched in 2021 amid claims from activists that money raised in 2017 claimed to be specifically for a referendum campaign was spent on other things.
In April this year Nicola Sturgeon’s husband and former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell was arrested, followed by then party treasurer Colin Beattie.
Both men were released without charge pending further investigation.
As well as the arrests, searches were carried out at a number of properties, including Mr Murrell and Ms Sturgeon’s home in Glasgow – where a police tent was erected in the garden – and SNP headquarters in Edinburgh.
A luxury motorhome was also seized by cops at Mr Murrell’s mum’s home, amid its investigation.
The £110,000 campervan was reportedly bought by the SNP in early 2021.
More to follow…