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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 National Party, 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 party, which controls the Scottish authorities and campaigns for independence. The party was thrown into turmoil after Ms. Sturgeon’s shock resignation final yr.
After her departure as first minister, Ms. Sturgeon was additionally arrested as a part of the investigation into her party’s funds, however she was launched and has not been charged.
Mr. Murrell, 59, who has been married to Ms. Sturgeon since 2010, turned the S.N.P.’s chief govt in 1999 and resigned from the position in February 2023.
Police Scotland stated in a press release that it had charged a 59-year-old man “in reference to the embezzlement of funds from the Scottish National Party.”
He was arrested at 9:13 a.m. and charged at 6:35 p.m. after questioning by detectives, the police stated, including, “The man is 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 party 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 dwelling parked exterior his mom’s home. At the time, Ms. Sturgeon’s successor as first minister, Humza Yousaf, confirmed to reporters that the party had purchased the car — to make use of as a cellular workplace for campaigns, officers informed native information shops — however stated that he realized concerning the buy solely after he turned chief.
The investigation has forged a cloud over the party, which has struggled since Mr. Yousaf took over the management. The S.N.P. has dominated Scottish politics lately, and Ms. Sturgeon gained a status as an efficient communicator and a formidable, if generally divisive, politician.
But whereas the S.N.P. stays the preferred party in Scotland in accordance with many opinion polls, Britain’s predominant opposition Labour Party has been advancing strongly, and a British common election is anticipated within the fall.
In a 2014 referendum, Scots voted by 55 % to 45 % in opposition to independence. Scotland’s constitutional future stays a stay problem, however prospects of one other vote quickly on the query have light.
