Former Scottish independence leader Nicola Sturgeon was arrested Sunday as part of an investigation into financial irregularities in her party, according to police and the British press. Police said a 52-year-old woman was arrested as a suspect as part of the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party (SNP), and both the BBC and PA confirmed that it was Sturgeon.
Sturgeon is in custody and is being questioned. This arrest represents the third in the framework of this investigation, which has shaken the Scottish political landscape. The properties raided by police include the residence of Sturgeon and her husband, Peter Murrell, as well as the SNP headquarters in Edinburgh, according to PA. In April, Murrell was also briefly arrested in connection with this investigation, while party treasurer Colin Beattie was arrested a few days later and subsequently released without charge.
The investigation centers on the use of around £600,000 ($750,000) donated in recent years to fund a new independence referendum, a project that is currently blocked due to rejection by the British government. Also mentioned in press reports is a £100,000 loan Murrell reportedly made to the party.
Sturgeon made her last public appearance as prime minister in the Scottish Parliament in March and announced her resignation a month earlier. Sturgeon’s arrest and the ongoing investigations raise questions about the political future of Scotland and the SNP, as well as the independence process.