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 occasion, which controls the Scottish authorities and campaigns for independence. The occasion was thrown into turmoil after Ms. Sturgeon’s surprise resignation final 12 months.
After her departure as first minister, Ms. Sturgeon was also arrested as a part of the investigation into her occasion’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 position in February 2023.
Police Scotland stated in an announcement 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 stated, including, “The person is now not in police custody.”
The police first started an investigation into the S.N.P.’s funds in July 2021 after questions on using greater than 600,000 kilos — now about $745,000 — in donations given to the occasion 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 residence parked outdoors his mom’s home. On the time, Ms. Sturgeon’s successor as first minister, Humza Yousaf, confirmed to reporters that the occasion had purchased the car — to make use of as a cellular workplace for campaigns, officers informed native information shops — however stated that he discovered concerning the buy solely after he became leader.
The investigation has solid a cloud over the occasion, which has struggled since Mr. Yousaf took over the management. The S.N.P. has dominated Scottish politics in recent times, and Ms. Sturgeon received a status as an efficient communicator and a formidable, if generally divisive, politician.
However whereas the S.N.P. stays the most well-liked occasion in Scotland in accordance with many opinion polls, Britain’s most important opposition Labour Social gathering has been advancing strongly, and a British normal election is predicted within the fall.
In a 2014 referendum, Scots voted by 55 percent to 45 percent against independence. Scotland’s constitutional future stays a reside subject, however prospects of one other vote quickly on the query have pale.
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