Finance: Former Scottish Prime Minister Sturgeon released

Former Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been released shortly after her arrest. No formal allegations have been made against them, Scottish police said on Sunday evening. The investigations continued, it said.

The 52-year-old had been arrested around seven hours earlier as a suspect in the course of investigations into financial inconsistencies in her party.

Sturgeon was in custody and was being questioned by investigators, Scottish Police said on Sunday. A spokeswoman for the politician confirmed the information and emphasized that Sturgeon had always made it clear that she would cooperate with the investigation if her participation was necessary. She will continue to do so. The SNP also said it was cooperating fully with the authorities.

Donations of around 780,000 euros

The investigations, which have been ongoing since July 2021, are about a possible misappropriation of donations of almost 667,000 pounds (around 780,000 euros) intended for the SNP’s independence campaign. Sturgeon is the third high-ranking person who had to be interrogated: Her husband Peter Murrell, who had been responsible for the finances of the SNP for many years, was arrested in April. Two weeks later, SNP Treasurer Colin Beattie was also questioned. He resigned from his position shortly thereafter. Both were later released without any charges being brought against them. Authorities also searched a number of properties including the home of Sturgeon and Murrell and the SNP party headquarters in Edinburgh.

Sturgeon, a vocal opponent of Brexit, became the face of the Scottish independence movement during her reign. In mid-February, after more than eight years, she surprisingly announced her withdrawal from the leadership of the party and government. At that time there were already allegations against her husband. However, she asserted that she was not resigning under pressure, but because she knew “with heart and mind” that it was the right time for it.

Since the end of March, Sturgeon’s 38-year-old confidant Humza Yousaf has been the new leader of the party and government. Sturgeon remains MP for Glasgow Southside constituency.

Heavy blow for the SNP

Politically, Sturgeon’s arrest is a serious blow to the SNP. Yousaf tried to shift the focus away from arrests and police investigations and back to the party’s policies and visions, BBC correspondent Nick Eardley analyzed. It is inevitable that Yousaf will now have to put up with questions about the arrest and what it means for the party for days on end.