Calls for Nicola Sturgeon to be suspended from SNP following arrest

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf is facing calls to suspend his predecessor Nicola Sturgeon from the Scottish National Party aft her apprehension connected Sunday.

Ms Sturgeon was questioned by constabulary and released without complaint arsenic portion of an probe into the SNP's backing and finances.

The erstwhile enactment person said she was "innocent of immoderate wrongdoing".

An SNP spokesperson said the enactment was co-operating afloat with the investigation.

The unit has been investigating for the past 2 years what happened to £660,000 of donations fixed to the SNP by independency activists for usage successful a aboriginal independency referendum campaign.

SNP MP Angus MacNeil joined absorption parties successful calling for Ms Sturgeon to beryllium suspended from the enactment - saying "this soap-opera has gone acold enough".

"Nicola Sturgeon suspended others from the SNP for an atrocious batch less," Mr MacNeil tweeted.

Scottish Conservatives president Craig Hoy said Mr Yousaf indispensable "now amusement immoderate enactment and suspend his predecessor from the SNP".

Ms Sturgeon was taken into custody and questioned by detectives astatine a constabulary presumption aft she attended voluntarily soon aft 10:00 connected Sunday.

Officers had up to 12 hours from the clip Ms Sturgeon was arrested earlier they had to determine whether to complaint her with a transgression oregon merchandise her portion their enquiries continue.

She was released from custody astatine astir 17:25 connected the aforesaid time - good earlier the deadline expired and conscionable implicit 7 hours since her arrest.

Police said a study would beryllium sent to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

She said: "To find myself successful the concern I did contiguous erstwhile I americium definite I person committed nary offence is some a daze and profoundly distressing.

"I cognize that this ongoing probe is hard for people, and I americium grateful that truthful galore proceed to amusement religion successful maine and admit that I would ne'er bash thing to harm either the SNP oregon the country."

She went on: "Innocence is not conscionable a presumption I americium entitled to successful law. I cognize beyond uncertainty that I americium successful information guiltless of immoderate wrongdoing."

It follows the apprehension of her husband, erstwhile SNP main enforcement Peter Murrell, connected 5 April by officers who searched the couple's location successful Glasgow arsenic portion of their Operation Branchform probe.

The SNP's office successful Edinburgh were searched connected the aforesaid time and a luxury motorhome valued astatine astir £110,000 was besides seized by constabulary from extracurricular the location of Mr Murrell's parent successful Dunfermline.

Almost 2 weeks later, the party's treasurer Colin Beattie was arrested.

Both men were released pending further investigations, with Mr Beattie resigning arsenic treasurer a abbreviated clip later.

The apprehension of the erstwhile archetypal curate had been wide expected arsenic she was 1 of the 3 signatories connected the SNP's accounts alongside Mr Murrell and Mr Beattie - though determination was nary denotation of erstwhile it was going to happen.