Nicola Sturgeon dodges questions over her SNP chief executive husband Peter Murrell as he stays away from press conference as she quits as First Minister amid questions over £100,000 loan he made to the party
Nicola Sturgeon refused to answer questions about a police probe into alleged fraud involving the SNP – which is run by her husband – as she announced her resignation today.
The party is subject to an investigation into whether £600,000 earmarked for independence campaigning was diverted elsewhere in 2021.
The outgoing First Minister has faced questions in recent weeks over a loan of £107,000 made by Peter Murrell to the party, of which he is chief executive.
She and Mr Murrell married in 2010. Challenged over the loan last week, the FM said she ‘can’t recall’ when she first discovered he had given money.
Reporters tried to ask Ms Sturgeon about whether she was to be interviewed by detectives as she ended an Edinburgh press conference today. But she declined to answer before walking out.
She spoke of the personal toll leadership had taken, saying: ‘I am a human being as well as a politician.’
The outgoing First Minister has faced questions in recent weeks over a loan of £107,000 made by Peter Murrell to the party, of which he is chief executive.
Reporters tried to ask Ms Sturgeon about whether she was to be interviewed by detectives as she ended an Edinburgh press conference today. But she declined to answer before walking out.
An interest-free loan was given by Mr Murrell to ‘assist with cashflow’ on June 20, 2021.
A day earlier, the SNP’s National Executive Committee held a meeting, after which treasurer Colin Beattie issued a statement reassuring members the £600,000 ring-fenced fund would be spent on campaigning for independence.
A police investigation was launched in July 2021 after complaints were received. Detectives are looking at claims that cash earmarked for campaigning for a second independence referendum had been diverted.
Last month, Police Scotland confirmed it had asked the Crown for ‘advice and direction’ in the investigation.
Electoral Commission documents revealed Mr Murrell loaned the party £107,620 the day after the NEC meeting.
The SNP has since been reprimanded by the Electoral Commission for failing to properly declare the loan, missing three deadlines required for transparency.
The Commission has confirmed that ‘as set out in electoral law’ the date the loan was entered into and agreed was June 20 2021.
The source of the loan had also been registered as coming from unnamed ‘executive management’ when first declared, before Mr Murrell was revealed to have been responsible.
Ms Sturgeon and Mr Murrell married in 2010. Challenged over the loan last week, the FM said she ‘can’t recall’ when she first discovered he had given money.
Following the NEC meeting, Mr Beattie stated: ‘We will ensure an amount equivalent to the sums raised from these appeals will go directly to our work to secure a referendum and win independence.’
He added that the full amount ‘remains earmarked’ for a referendum campaign.
Scottish Tory chairman Craig Hoy said: ‘Nicola Sturgeon has serious questions to answer over this extraordinary coincidence in relation to her husband loaning his employer a six-figure sum. These questions are not going away and the situation is getting increasingly murky for those at the very top of the SNP.
‘The public will quite rightly be concerned that the SNP’s CEO and husband of the First Minister loaned over £100,000 to assist with cashflow issues only a day after the party’s treasurer had sought to reassure members over their referendum-related donations.
‘This stinks of SNP secrecy and it is time those involved were fully transparent with the public about what exactly went on here.’
The latest statement from Police Scotland said: ‘A report which outlines inquiries already undertaken and seeks further instruction has been submitted to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS). We are working closely with COPFS as the investigation continues.’
A spokesman for the Crown Office said it had received ‘a Police Scotland request for advice and direction’, adding: ‘COPFS will continue to work with police.’
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