Nicola Sturgeon’s husband has been arrested for a second time as part of an investigation into the SNP’s finances.
Peter Murrell, who stood down as the party’s chief executive last year, was first arrested in April last year. The 59-year-old was released without charge pending further investigation.
Police Scotland is investigating the whereabouts of money which was earmarked for Scottish independence campaigning.
In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, Police Scotland said: “A 59-year-old man has today, Thursday, 18 April, 2024, been re-arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.
“The man, who was previously arrested as a suspect on 5 April, 2023, was taken into custody at 9.13am and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives.
“The matter remains active for the purposes of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and the public are therefore advised to exercise caution if discussing it on social media. For this reason, Police Scotland has turned off the comments function on this post.
“As the investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further at this time.”
On April 5 2023, Police Scotland officers searched Murrell’s home near Glasgow, which he shares with Sturgeon, the former Scottish first minister.
It follows a probe known as Operation Branchform into the spending of more than £600,000 in donations for independence campaigning.
Sturgeon, who resigned as first minister and SNP leader in February 2023, was arrested two months after her husband, while the former party treasurer Colin Beattie was also arrested.
Both Sturgeon and Beattie were released without charge pending further investigation.
Following Sturgeon’s arrest in June 2023, she insisted she had “done nothing wrong”.