PETER Murrell has been re-arrested by police in connection with the ongoing criminal investigation into the SNP’s finances.
April 5 marked a year since the home of Nicola Sturgeon was searched Murrell, her husband and the party’s former chief executive was arrested for the first time.
Police Scotland officers searched the couple’s home and erected a blue tent outside the property near Glasgow, as well as carrying out searches at the SNP’s Edinburgh HQ.
The former SNP leader and first minister was later arrested as part of the investigation – like her husband she was released without charge the same day.
MSP Colin Beattie, the party’s ex-treasurer, was also arrested and released.
An investigation into the party’s funding and finances has been ongoing since July 2021.
May 2021: MP quits party finance role
Douglas Chapman (below) resigned from his role as treasurer, saying he had not been given enough information to do his job.
Senior figures in the party, including Sturgeon, later disputed his assessment.
Joanna Cherry, a vocal, internal critic of the party’s leadership, also resigned from her role on the National Executive Committee (NEC).
July 2021: Police open investigation
Police Scotland confirmed they were investigating after seven complaints were made around donations to the SNP.
This followed allegations that £600,000 raised for campaigning towards Scottish independence was diverted elsewhere.
Earlier, the police said they were assessing a fraud allegation relating to £600,000 of funds “to determine if an investigation is required”.
The party said “all sums raised for independence campaigning will be spent on independence campaigning”.
August 2021: Party accounts acknowledge ‘concern’
As the party’s annual accounts were published, Beattie, in his former role as party treasurer, acknowledged there had been “concern” about transparency over independence-related appeals that had raised more than £600,000.
In a section of the accounts, Beattie (below) discussed money raised by the referendum-related appeals since 2017.
He said that £666,953 had been raised up to the end of 2021, with a total of £51,760 expenditure applied to this income.
The money was “earmarked” through internal processes, he said, though the accounts did not officially record a separate sum.
December 2022: Loan to SNP emerges
In December, it emerged that Murrell had loaned the party £100,000 in June 2021.
The party said this was to help with a “cash flow” issue after the election that year.
Sturgeon said: “The resources that he lent the party were resources that belonged to him.”
February 2023: Nicola Sturgeon resigns
Sturgeon (below) stunned the political world by suddenly announcing her resignation on February 15.
During her Bute House press conference, she was asked if she expected to be interviewed in relation to the investigation. She said she did not.
March 2023: Peter Murrell resigns
Amid the SNP leadership contest to replace Sturgeon, Murrell announced he was stepping down as the party’s chief executive – a role he had held for more than 20 years.
It came during a row over the party’s membership numbers, which also led to media chief Murray Foote (below) stepping down.
Membership numbers had dropped by about 30,000 in the past year, something the party previously denied.
April 2023: Peter Murrell arrested as police search premises
Murrell was arrested on the morning of Wednesday April 5.
There was a large police presence around his home in Glasgow as well as the SNP’s headquarters in Edinburgh.
He was released without charge, pending further investigation, the same day.
April 2023: Campervan seized
On April 9, a luxury campervan, thought to be worth about £110,000, was seized by police investigating the party’s finances.
April 2023: Colin Beattie arrested
On April 18, party treasurer Beattie was arrested and interviewed by police.
His role was to oversee the party’s finances.
April 2023: SNP appoints new treasurer
Stuart McDonald (below) was appointed as the SNP’s new treasurer on April 22 after Beattie stood down with “immediate effect” following his arrest.
The 44-year-old MP admitted it would be a “difficult and challenging time” for the party.
May 2023: SNP appoints new auditor
The party appointed the AMS Accountant Group on May 3 2023, after its previous auditor, Johnston Carmichael, stood down in September 2022.
The party was subsequently able to file accounts before a crucial deadline which could have seen the Westminster group miss out on £1.2 million worth of funding.
June 2023: Nicola Sturgeon arrested
Sturgeon was arrested on June 11 and she “voluntarily” arranged with Police Scotland to be questioned as part of the investigation into the party’s finances, a spokesman said.
Like others, she was released without charge pending further investigation.
Upon returning to Holyrood, she said: “The thing that sustains me right now is the certainty that I have done nothing wrong.”
July 2023: Police chief says probe has ‘moved beyond’ initial reports
Police Scotland chief constable Sir Iain Livingstone gave an interview shortly before he was to step down from his role.
He confirmed the police investigation, known as Operation Branchform, had “moved beyond what some of the initial reports were”, saying this is not uncommon in financial inquiries.
Livingstone (above) said he would not put an “absolute timeframe” on the length of the investigation but that it would be “proportionate and timeous”.
October 2023: Rutherglen by-election defeat
Following the SNP’s defeat in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, Humza Yousaf (below) said the investigation into the party’s finances – along with the “reckless” actions of recalled MP Margaret Ferrier – played a part in the result.
April 2024: Peter Murrell re-arrested
Murrell was re-arrested by police on April 18 and taken in for questioning just after 9am.
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