London (CNN) – Peter Morell, husband of former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with an investigation into the SNP’s financing and financing.
Morrell, 58, resigned as chief executive of the SNP last month, after more than two decades in the job, following Sturgeon’s shock resignation as prime minister in February.
Police Scotland said in a statement that a 58-year-old man had been “arrested as a suspect” and was being questioned by detectives.
“The agents are conducting searches at various addresses as part of the investigation,” the statement added.
Sturgeon and Muriel at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 3, 2022. Credit: Kirsty O’Connor/WPA Pool/Getty Images
Police Scotland are conducting an investigation into the SNP’s handling of funds that were earmarked for the Scottish independence campaign, according to PA Media.
A spokesman for the SNP said the party would not comment on the ongoing investigation, but it was “cooperating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so”.
The spokesman added that the party’s board of directors agreed to review governance and transparency.
The Scottish National Party has been at the helm of the Scottish government since 2007, but its goal of separating from the United Kingdom has been slowed recently by declining opinion polls and political hurdles.
Muriel and Sturgeon were key figures in the Scottish independence movement for years.
Sturgeon had been the country’s prime minister for eight years, but on February 15 she dramatically announced that she was stepping down from office.
At the time, Sturgeon said he knew “it was time” to resign, adding that the decision was “the right thing to do for myself, my party and the country”.
His announcement sparked a leadership battle in which Hamza Yusuf emerged victorious, a contest that exposed divisions within the party.
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