Nicola Sturgeon said the ¾õ¶·¡¿¾ðÀª was 'incredibly difficult' today after her husband Peter Murrell was ¹ðȯ¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¤¹ðÁʡʤ¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿ÎÁ¶âd in ´Ø·¸ with »È¤¤¹þ¤ß¡¤²£ÎÎ.
The former Scottish First Âç¿Ã spoke outside her Glasgow home after Mr Murrell, 59, was Àµ¼°¤Ë ¹ðȯ¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¤¹ðÁʡʤ¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿ÎÁ¶âd last night.??
The former SNP?Ĺ¡¤»ØƳ¼Ô (n)Ìò°÷¡¿(a)¼¹¹ÔÎϤΤ¢¤ë has ¼¿¦¤¹¤ëd his party ²ñ°÷¤ÎÃÏ°Ì. Ms Sturgeon ¼çÄ¥¤¹¤ëd she?'can't say any more' before leaving by car.
Earlier, ¸½ºß¤Î First Âç¿Ã Humza Yousaf said Scottish politics had been 'shocked' by ³«È¯s and it was a 'serious' »öÊÁ. ??
![Former Scottish First minister Nicola Sturgeon spoke outside her home after Mr Murrell, 59, was formally charged last night.](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/19/13/83851557-0-image-a-14_1713529329304.jpg)
Former Scottish First Âç¿Ã Nicola Sturgeon spoke outside her home after Mr Murrell, 59, was Àµ¼°¤Ë ¹ðȯ¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¤¹ðÁʡʤ¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿ÎÁ¶âd last night.
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/19/11/83847863-13327573-image-a-30_1713524383466.jpg)
Nicola Sturgeon's husband Peter Murrell arriving at his home in Glasgow yesterday?
![Police Scotland said in a statement: 'A 59-year-old man has today, Thursday, April 18, 2024, been re-arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into the fun
ding and finances of the Scottish National Party'. (File picture of Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell)](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/19/12/83849599-13327573-image-m-56_1713524690968.jpg)
Police Scotland said in a À¼ÌÀ: 'A 59-year-old man has today, Thursday, April 18, 2024, been re-ÂáÊá¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëd in ´Ø·¸ with the ¸½ºß¿Ê¹ÔÃæ¤Î Ä´ºº into the ´ð¶âing and ºâÀ¯¡¿¶âÍ»s of the Scottish ¹ñ²È¤Î Party'. (¤È¤¸¹þ¤ß¡¿Äó½Ð¤¹¤ë picture of Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell)
Mr Yousaf said?he first became aware of ³«È¯s late yesterday evening.
'Many people in the SNP, ¸¢Íø across Scottish politics will be shocked by the news and this is an ¸½ºß¿Ê¹ÔÃæ¤Î Ä´ºº,' he said.
'Police, the ±É´§¤òÍ¿¤¨¤ë have a ¿¦¶È to do, just as I have a ¿¦¶È to do as First Âç¿Ã, that ¿¦¶È of course is ³Î¼Â¤Ë¤¹¤ëing that I support ¾¦Çä¡¿»Å»ö, that I help À¤ÂÓs throughout the cost-of-living ´íµ¡, that I help to ºï¸º¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë waiting times in the NHS, that I Á°¿Ê¤¹¤ë the ¸¶°ø¡Ê¤È¤Ê¤ë¡Ë of independence, so that's the ¿¦¶È that you can imagine I'm ¾ÇÅÀ¡Ê¤ò¹ç¤ï¤»¤ë¡Ëd on.'
He Äɲ乤ëd: 'As per the police À¼ÌÀ it is a very serious ³«È¯, as per the police À¼ÌÀ it's an ¼çÄ¥ of »È¤¤¹þ¤ß¡¤²£ÎÎ from the party, »È¤¤¹þ¤ß¡¤²£ÎÎ of ´ð¶âs from the party. That's really serious indeed.'
Scottish ÊݼéŪ¤Ês chairman Craig Hoy has ´«¤á¤ëd SNP to 'fully-¶¨ÎϤ¹¤ë' with the Ä´ºº.?
He said: 'The ¹ð¼¨ that Peter Murrell has been ¹ðȯ¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¤¹ðÁʡʤ¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿ÎÁ¶âd by Police Scotland is an ¶Ëü¤Ë serious ³«È¯ in the Ä´ºº into the SNP's ºâÀ¯¡¿¶âÍ»s.
'As the police Ä´ºº¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë continues, it is now more important than ever that all SNP staff and À¯¼£²È¡¤À¯¼£²°s, past and ¸½ºß¤Î, fully co-operate.
'The Ä´ºº, which has been going on for three years, appears to be reaching a ·ëÏÀ and the SNP must commit to ¸ºß fully open and transparent in this ÈãȽŪ¤Ê Ãʳ¬.'
An SNP spokesperson said: 'While this ³«È¯ will come as a shock, the police Ä´ºº remains ¸½ºß¿Ê¹ÔÃæ¤Î and it would, therefore, be ÉÔŬÀÚ¤Ê to make any comment.'
Murrell's ¹ðȯ¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¤¹ðÁʡʤ¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿ÎÁ¶â is part of a Ä´ºº¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë known as Áàºî¡¿¼ê½Ñ Branchform into the spending of more than ¡ò600,000 in ´óÉÕs for independence ¡ÊÁªµó¤Ê¤É¤Î¡Ë±¿Æ°¤ò¤¹¤ëing.
Police officers, ´Þ¤àing Ë¡Äî¤Îs ÀìÌç²Ès and others with ˽ư Êݸîʪ¡¤¼Ôs last year made a very public search of the Sturgeon family home in Glasgow and the ¹ñ²È¼çµÁ¼Ô party's Edinburgh ¡Ê·Ù»¡¡¤·³Ââ¤Ê¤É¤Î¡ËËÜÉô.
Ms Sturgeon, who ¼¿¦¤¹¤ëd as first Âç¿Ã and SNP leader in February 2023, was ÂáÊá¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëd two months after her husband, while the former party treasurer Colin Beattie was also ÂáÊá¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëd. Both Ms Sturgeon and Mr Beattie were ²òÊü¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëd without ¹ðȯ¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¤¹ðÁʡʤ¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿ÎÁ¶â ̤²ò·è¤Î ¤½¤Î¾å¤Î Ä´ºº.
Murrell - who has been married to Ms Sturgeon since 2010 - was first held by õÄ塤·º»ös Ä´ºº¡¿Áܺº¤¹¤ëing what happened to more than half a million ³¤±¤¶¤Þ¤ËÌԷ⤹¤ës ´óÉÕ¤¹¤ëd to the SNP to »Ùʧ¤¦¡¿Ä¶â for a second independence ¹ṉ̃Åêɼ ¡ÊÁªµó¤Ê¤É¤Î¡Ë±¿Æ°¤ò¤¹¤ë that never materialised.
![The 59-year-old, the SNP's former chief executive, arriving at his home yesterday](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/19/12/83847561-13327573-image-a-32_1713524400413.jpg)
The 59-year-old, the SNP's former Ĺ¡¤»ØƳ¼Ô (n)Ìò°÷¡¿(a)¼¹¹ÔÎϤΤ¢¤ë, arriving at his home yesterday
![Murrell has been married to Ms Sturgeon since 2010](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/19/12/83847557-13327573-The_59_year_old_the_SNP_s_former_chief_executive_was_taken_into_-a-33_1713524402810.jpg)
Murrell has been married to Ms Sturgeon since 2010?
![Current First Minister Humza Yousaf said Scottish politics had been 'shocked' by developments and it was a 'serious' matter](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/19/13/83851863
-13327887-image-a-23_1713529819649.jpg)
¸½ºß¤Î First Âç¿Ã Humza Yousaf said Scottish politics had been 'shocked' by ³«È¯s and it was a 'serious' »öÊÁ
Earlier this month the Mail on Sunday ÌÀ¤é¤«¤Ë¤¹¤ë¡¿Ï³¤é¤¹d that a new officer had been Ǥ̿¤¹¤ëd to ´ÆÆĤ¹¤ë Áàºî¡¿¼ê½Ñ Branchform, which insiders ¡Ê¿ÍÌ¿¤Ê¤É¤ò¡ËÃ¥¤¦¡¤¼çÄ¥¤¹¤ë was an À®²Ì¡¿ÅØÎÏ to run a 'fresh pair of ÃíÌܤ¹¤ë¡¤¤â¤¯¤í¤às' over the Ä´ºº before an ¸ø¼°¤Î¡¿Ìò¿Í Êó¹ð¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿²±Â¬ is ¼êÅϤ¹d to the ±É´§¤òÍ¿¤¨¤ë Office.
Former ³Õν Âç¿Ãs who served under Ms Sturgeon have been quizzed as the police »î¤ß¤ë¡¿´ë¤Æ¤ë to ÀßΩ¤¹¤ë if there has been a long-¾Î¤¹¤ë¡¤¸Æ¤Ö¡¿´ü´Ö¡¿ÍѸì culture of secrecy surrounding the running of the party.
The Áàºî¡¿¼ê½Ñ Branchform Ä´ºº¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë, ³«»Ï¤¹¤ë¡¤ÂǤÁ¾å¤²¤ëd in May 2021, is ¾ÇÅÀ¡Ê¤ò¹ç¤ï¤»¤ë¡Ëd on how money raised in 2017 and 2019 as part of a '¹ṉ̃Åêɼ ¹µÁÊ¡¤¾å¹ð' has been used.
´Ø¿´ was first raised when SNP accounts showed ¤¤¤Ã¤½¤¦¾¯¤Ê¤¯ than ¡ò100,000 in the bank in 2019, ¤Ë¤â¤«¤«¤ï¤é¤º ¡ò600,000 ¸ºß ´óÉÕ¤¹¤ëd to the ¹ṉ̃Åêɼ ¹µÁÊ¡¤¾å¹ð, Ͷȯ¤¹¤ëing at least 19 ÈȺá¤Î ¡Ê̱»ö¤Î¡Ë¹ðÁÊs.
![Police officers, including forensics e
xperts and others with riot shields, last year made a very public search of the Sturgeon family home in Glasgow](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/19/12/83819057-13327573-Police_officers_including_forensics_experts_and_others_with_riot-a-34_1713524407703.jpg)
Police officers, ´Þ¤àing Ë¡Äî¤Îs ÀìÌç²Ès and others with ˽ư Êݸîʪ¡¤¼Ôs, last year made a very public search of the Sturgeon family home in Glasgow?
![A police patrol passes by the couple's home this morning](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/19/12/83847895-13327573-A_police_patrol_passes_by_the_couple_s_home_this_morning-a-35_1713524412181.jpg)
A police patrol passes by the couple's home this morning?
Police Scotland said: 'A 59-year-old man has today Thursday April 18 been ¹ðȯ¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¤¹ðÁʡʤ¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿ÎÁ¶âd in ´Ø·¸ with the »È¤¤¹þ¤ß¡¤²£ÎÎ of ´ð¶âs from the Scottish ¹ñ²È¤Î Party.
'The man, who was ÂáÊá¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëd at 9.13am today and had °ÊÁ° been ÂáÊá¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ëd as a ·ùµ¿¼Ô¡¤ÍƵ¿¼Ô¡¿µ¿¤¦ on April 5 2023, was ¹ðȯ¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¤¹ðÁʡʤ¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿ÎÁ¶âd at 6.3 5pm after ¤½¤Î¾å¤Î ¿ÒÌä by Police Scotland õÄ塤·º»ös Ä´ºº¡¿Áܺº¤¹¤ëing the ´ð¶âing and ºâÀ¯¡¿¶âÍ»s of the party.
'A Êó¹ð¡Ê¤¹¤ë¡Ë¡¿²±Â¬ will be sent to the ±É´§¤òÍ¿¤¨¤ë Office and Procurator ²ñ·×¤Î Service in ͽÄê course.
'The man is no longer in police Êݸ¹´Î±. As this Ä´ºº is ¸½ºß¿Ê¹ÔÃæ¤Î we are unable to comment ¤½¤Î¾å¤Î.
'The »öÊÁ is active for the ÌÜŪs of the Contempt of Ë¡ÄºÛȽ½ê ¹Ô°Ù¡¿Ë¡Îá¡¿¹ÔÆ°¤¹¤ë 1981 and the public are therefore advised to ±é½¬ ·Ù¹ð¤òÍ¿¤¨¤ë if discussing it on social ¥Þ¥¹¥³¥ß.'