Peter Murrell, the husband of Scotland’s former first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, was charged on Thursday in reference to embezzlement of funds from the Scottish Nationwide Social gathering, which she as soon as led and the place he as soon as held a senior place.
The announcement, which follows a prolonged inquiry by the Scottish police, is one other blow to the social gathering, which controls the Scottish authorities and campaigns for independence. The social gathering was thrown into turmoil after Ms. Sturgeon’s shock resignation final 12 months.
After her departure as first minister, Ms. Sturgeon was additionally arrested as a part of the investigation into her social gathering’s funds, however she was launched and has not been charged.
Mr. Murrell, 59, who has been married to Ms. Sturgeon since 2010, grew to become the S.N.P.’s chief govt in 1999 and resigned from the function in February 2023.
Police Scotland mentioned in a press release that it had charged a 59-year-old man “in reference to the embezzlement of funds from the Scottish Nationwide Social gathering.”
He was arrested at 9:13 a.m. and charged at 6:35 p.m. after questioning by detectives, the police mentioned, including, “The person is not in police custody.”
The police first started an investigation into the S.N.P.’s funds in July 2021 after questions on the usage of greater than 600,000 kilos — now about $745,000 — in donations given to the social gathering to marketing campaign for Scottish independence.
Mr. Murrell was first arrested and questioned in April 2023, however after 11 hours the police launched him “with out cost pending additional investigation.”
After that arrest, the British information media reported that the police had seized a luxurious motor house parked exterior his mom’s home. On the time, Ms. Sturgeon’s successor as first minister, Humza Yousaf, confirmed to reporters that the social gathering had purchased the car — to make use of as a cellular workplace for campaigns, officers advised native information shops — however mentioned that he realized concerning the buy solely after he grew to become chief.
The investigation has solid a cloud over the social gathering, which has struggled since Mr. Yousaf took over the management. The S.N.P. has dominated Scottish politics lately, and Ms. Sturgeon received a popularity as an efficient communicator and a formidable, if generally divisive, politician.
However whereas the S.N.P. stays the preferred social gathering in Scotland in accordance with many opinion polls, Britain’s essential opposition Labour Social gathering has been advancing strongly, and a British normal election is anticipated within the fall.
In a 2014 referendum, Scots voted by 55 % to 45 % in opposition to independence. Scotland’s constitutional future stays a dwell concern, however prospects of one other vote quickly on the query have pale.
