LONDON (CNN) The husband of former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Peter Murrell, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with an inquiry into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.
Murrell, 58, resigned as chief executive of the SNP last month after more than two decades in that role following Sturgeon’s surprise resignation as first secretary in February.
A 58-year-old man has been “arrested as a suspect” and is being questioned by detectives, Scottish Police said in a statement.
“Officials are also conducting searches at a number of addresses as part of the investigation,” the statement added.
He was later released without charge “pending further investigation”, according to Police Scotland, after spending nearly 12 hours in custody.
Sturgeon and Murrell at St. Paul’s Cathedral on June 3, 2022.
Police Scotland have investigated the SNP’s handling of money earmarked for Scottish independence campaigns, according to PA Media.
A spokesman for the SNP said the party would not comment on a live investigation, but that it had “fully cooperated with this investigation and will continue to do so”.
The party’s governing body has agreed to a review of governance and transparency, the spokesman added.
The SNP has led the Scottish Government since 2007, but momentum behind its aim to break away from Britain has slowed of late as the party’s poll ratings have fallen and political headaches have mounted.
Murrell and Sturgeon have been key figures in the Scottish independence movement for years.
Sturgeon was the country’s first minister for eight years, but dramatically announced that she would step down from her post on February 15.
At the time, Sturgeon said she knew “now is the time” to step down, adding that the move was “right for me, for my party and for the country.”
Her announcement sparked a leadership battle won by Humza Yousaf, a race that exposed divisions within the party.