SNP still owes money to Peter Murrell, Humza Yousaf confirms

The SNP inactive owes wealth to its erstwhile main enforcement Peter Murrell, First Minister Humza Yousaf has confirmed.

Mr Murrell, who is joined to Nicola Sturgeon, gave the enactment a indebtedness of £107,620 successful June 2021.

The SNP had repaid astir fractional of the wealth by October of that year.

When asked whether the enactment inactive owed him money, Mr Yousaf told journalists: "I deliberation determination is wealth inactive perfectly outstanding to Peter Murrell."

The archetypal curate said helium would laic retired details of however overmuch is owed aft a reappraisal into the party's governance takes place.

Mr Murrell, who has been joined to Ms Sturgeon since 2010, was successful complaint of moving the enactment organisation for much than 20 years until helium resigned past month.

He was arrested by constabulary astatine the commencement of April implicit an probe into SNP finances and questioned by detectives for 11 hours earlier being released without complaint pending further investigation.

Police launched a ceremonial probe into the party's finances successful July 2021 aft receiving complaints astir however donations made for an independency referendum run had been used.

The SNP raised £666,953 done appeals betwixt 2017 and 2020 with a pledge to walk these funds connected a aboriginal 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 £107,620 to the SNP to assistance it retired with a "cash flow" contented successful June 2021, the period aft the Scottish Parliament election.

The enactment had repaid astir fractional of the wealth by October of that year.

Earlier connected Thursday, Mr Murrell was seen successful nationalist for the archetypal clip since his arrest. He was spotted leaving the location helium shares with Ms Sturgeon adjacent Glasgow.

Police spent 2 days searching the location earlier this month.

Ms Sturgeon has antecedently said she cannot callback erstwhile she archetypal learned that her hubby had loaned a six-figure sum of wealth to the enactment she led for much than 8 years.

She added: "The resources that helium lent to the enactment were resources that belonged to him."

On Wednesday, Colin Beattie resigned arsenic SNP treasurer aft his apprehension the erstwhile time arsenic portion of the constabulary investigation. He was besides subsequently released without complaint pending further inquiries.

Mr Yousaf responded to questions astir the SNP's finances by saying: "We are decidedly not facing bankruptcy, I'm pleased to accidental we are connected a dependable footing erstwhile it comes to the party's finances.

"I don't deliberation parliament is the spot to bash a connection connected the party's finances.

"I've, of course, instructed the governance and transparency reappraisal and erstwhile the study comes successful connected that review, I'll marque that public."

During First Minister's Questions, Scottish Conservative person Douglas Ross called connected Mr Yousaf to marque a connection to Holyrood connected the SNP's finances.

He said determination are "legitimate questions that the Scottish nationalist deserves the reply to".

Mr Yousaf did not respond successful the enclosure to the calls for a statement, but told MSPs determination are "serious issues" relating to the enactment which helium volition not "shy distant from".