Peter Murrell rearrested in SNP finances investigation

Peter Murrell, who is married to the former first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, was arrested again by police for a second round of questioning related to accusations of financial misconduct involving the Scottish National party.

Murrell, the previous leader of the Scottish National Party, was taken into police custody and questioned as a possible perpetrator by investigators from Police Scotland in April of 2023 at the residence he and Sturgeon shared in Glasgow. However, he was released that same day and is undergoing additional examination.

The law enforcement officers set up shelters in front of their separate residence, investigating the yard and taking away proof from the premises.

Detectives conducted a chain of connected missions, and also investigated the party's main office in Edinburgh. They also took possession of an extravagant mobile home parked in the driveway of Murrell's 92-year-old mother located in Dunfermline.

Colin Beattie, who was the treasurer of the political party at the time and also an SNP MSP, was apprehended at his residence in Midlothian. Authorities questioned him while cautioning him, but he was ultimately released without charges on that same day.

After a period of two months, on the 11th of June, Sturgeon was taken into custody and questioned by the authorities. However, he was subsequently released without any charges being laid against him.

She has denied any wrongdoing many times and claims that her resignation as the longest-serving first minister of Scotland in March 2023 was not related to the police investigation of the SNP, which is referred to as Operation Branchform.

There was a lot of talk about the investigation and what was going on with it, so the police in Scotland made an announcement on Thursday. They said that Murrell, who is 59 years old, was taken into custody again at 9:13am that day. The reason for this was because they are still investigating the Scottish National Party's funding and finances, and they think Murrell may have something to do with it.

The situation is still ongoing and is subject to the Contempt of Court Act 1981. Therefore, it is recommended that individuals exercise prudence when talking about it on social media.

Police Scotland has disabled the ability to leave comments on this specific post due to ongoing investigations. Therefore, they are currently unable to provide any further information or commentary at this moment.

A representative from SNP stated that it would not be fitting to make a statement at this point.

The SNP's financial affairs have come under scrutiny lately after several reports of irregularities in their finances, especially with regards to the £667,000 in contributions for a pro-independence fund. As a result of these complaints, Police Scotland initiated Operation Branchform in July 2021.

The financial records of the party did not provide a clear indication of the location where the money was stored. This resulted in accusations that the funds had been utilized for the everyday expenses of the SNP. The party contended that the money had been specifically set aside through its own accounting procedures.

The party was shaken up by a number of arguments concerning the openness of financial decision-making. In March 2021, three members of the finance and audit committee resigned due to their objections about not being able to view the party's financial records.

After two months, MP Douglas Chapman decided to step down from his role as treasurer. Soon after, MP Joanna Cherry also resigned from her position on the national executive committee.

Murrell provided financial assistance to the party in June 2021 due to their monetary constraints. He lent them a sum of £107,000 to help with their cash flow. By October 2021, half of the amount was repaid to Murrell. Although the loan was taken in June, knowledge of it was revealed only in December 2022.

Jackie Baillie, who holds the position of deputy leader in Scottish Labour, expressed her worry about a new and alarming development in the ongoing investigation. Baillie emphasized the significance of allowing Police Scotland to proceed with the investigation without any disturbance.