Investigations into party finances
Former Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon arrested
Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon surprisingly resigned on February 15
© Andy Buchanan / AFP
Scotland’s ex-Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been arrested as part of a financial investigation. It’s about irregularities in their Scottish national party SNP.
Former Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been arrested as part of an investigation into financial inconsistencies within her party. The 52-year-old is in custody and is being questioned by investigators, Scottish police said on Sunday. She is considered a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the finances of the Scottish governing party SNP. Sturgeon had announced that it would cooperate fully with the authorities if their cooperation was necessary.
The investigations, which have been ongoing since 2021, are about a possible misappropriation of donations of almost 667,000 pounds (around 780,000 euros) intended for the SNP’s independence campaign. Her husband Peter Murrell and then SNP Treasurer Colin Beattie were arrested in April. Both were later released without any charges being brought against them.
Sturgeon surprisingly announced her resignation from the party leadership in February after more than eight years at the head of government in Edinburgh – according to her own statements, because she lacked the “energy” to continue. At that time there were already allegations against her husband. Since the end of March, Sturgeon’s 38-year-old confidant Humza Yousaf has been the new leader of the party and government.