Nicola Sturgeon, the former leader of Scotland, was arrested on Sunday as part of an ongoing Police Scotland investigation into the funding of the Scottish National Party (SNP), as confirmed by her spokesperson.
The investigation focuses on the allocation of over £600,000 ($750,000) raised by Scottish independence campaigners in 2017, intended to be specifically allocated but potentially diverted for other purposes.
Earlier, Police Scotland took to Twitter to announce the arrest of a 52-year-old woman, considered a suspect in relation to the ongoing inquiry into the SNP’s finances. The woman is currently in custody and is being questioned by detectives from Police Scotland. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, further comments are withheld at this time.
The arrest of Nicola Sturgeon, who resigned from her position earlier this year, is a deeply embarrassing development for the SNP, a party dedicated to achieving Scotland’s independence and severing the three-century political union with England. An SNP spokesperson emphasized that they have been fully cooperating with the investigation and will continue to do so. However, given the ongoing nature of the inquiry, they deemed it inappropriate to make further public statements.
In April, Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, along with the party’s former treasurer, was arrested as part of the same investigation. Both were subsequently released without charge, pending further examination. During Murrell’s arrest, the couple’s residence in Glasgow underwent an extensive search, with the premises being cordoned off with police tape.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s longest-serving leader of its semi-autonomous government, surprised the political realm when she announced her resignation in February, citing concerns about her ability to lead the country to independence due to growing divisions.
