Peter Murrell released without charge after arrest of ex-SNP chief

Former SNP main enforcement Peter Murrell has been released without complaint pending further probe into Scottish National Party finances.

The hubby of erstwhile archetypal curate Nicola Sturgeon was arrested connected Wednesday morning.

Mr Murrell, 58, was questioned aft being taken into constabulary custody portion searches were carried retired astatine his location and astatine the SNP headquarters.

Police Scotland said its inquiries were ongoing.

Mr Murrell resigned arsenic the party's main enforcement past month.

The erstwhile enactment chief, who had held the station since 1999, has been joined to Ms Sturgeon since 2010.

A spokesperson for the erstwhile archetypal curate said she had "no anterior knowledge" of Police Scotland's enactment oregon intentions.

They added: "Ms Sturgeon volition afloat cooperate with Police Scotland if required, nevertheless astatine this clip nary specified petition has been made."

Ms Sturgeon was succeeded by Humza Yousaf past week.

The caller archetypal curate said pursuing Mr Murrell's apprehension that it was "a hard day" for the SNP.

Mr Yousaf said his enactment has "fully cooperated" with constabulary and would proceed to bash so.

He added that the SNP had agreed to transportation retired a reappraisal connected governance and transparency.

Police Scotland confirmed Ms Sturgeon was astatine her Glasgow location erstwhile officers arrived astatine 07:35 to apprehension her husband.

By 10:00 determination were 10 uniformed officers stationed extracurricular the couple's detached property, on with 3 constabulary vehicles.

The location was sealed disconnected with bluish and achromatic tape, portion a structure was erected connected the driveway. Items were brought from the location to the tent, wherever the BBC understands a conveyance was parked.

Police officers could beryllium seen searching a tiny shed and retention container successful the backmost garden, a constabulary lensman took pictures and officers looked astatine a laptop.

Meanwhile, astatine slightest six marked constabulary vehicles were parked extracurricular SNP HQ and officers carrying greenish crates and different instrumentality were seen going inside.

In July 2021 Police Scotland launched a ceremonial probe into the SNP's finances aft receiving complaints astir however donations were used.

Questions had been raised astir funds fixed to the enactment for usage successful a caller independency referendum campaign.

Seven radical made complaints and a probe was acceptable up pursuing talks with prosecutors.

Ms Sturgeon, past archetypal curate and SNP leader, had insisted that she was "not concerned" astir the party's finances.

She said "every penny" of currency raised successful online crowdfunding campaigns would beryllium spent connected the independency drive.

According to a statement, the SNP raised a full of £666,953 done referendum-related appeals betwixt 2017 and 2020. The enactment pledged to walk these funds connected the independency campaign.

Questions were raised aft its accounts showed it had conscionable nether £97,000 successful the slope astatine the extremity of 2019, and full nett assets of astir £272,000.

Last twelvemonth it emerged Mr Murrell gave a indebtedness of much than £100,000 to the SNP to assistance it retired with a "cash flow" contented aft the past election.

The past SNP's main enforcement loaned the enactment £107,620 successful June 2021. The SNP had repaid astir fractional of the wealth by October of that year.

At the clip an SNP spokesperson said the indebtedness was a "personal publication made by the main enforcement to assistance with currency travel aft the Holyrood election".

He said it had been reported successful the party's 2021 accounts, which were published by the Electoral Commission successful August past year.

Weeks earlier, MP Douglas Chapman had resigned arsenic enactment treasurer saying helium had not been fixed the "financial information" to bash the job.

Mr Murrell resigned past period aft taking work for misleading statements astir a autumn successful enactment membership.

The fig of members had fallen from the 104,000 it had 2 years agone to conscionable implicit 72,000.