Yahoo Finance Police under pressure to reveal whether Sturgeon was questioned over ‘missing’ £600,000
The Scottish Tories have told police that they must reveal whether they have interviewed Nicola Sturgeon or her husband as part of their investigation into SNP finances.
The outgoing First Minister has refused to say whether she has been, or expects to be, formally spoken to as part of an inquiry into a “missing” £600,000 in fundraising cash.
Peter Murrell, her husband and the SNP chief executive, is also embroiled in the controversy and gave the party a loan of £107,000, which initially was not properly declared to the Electoral Commission.
On Thursday, there were unconfirmed rumours that Ms Sturgeon had already been spoken to. Police Scotland refused to confirm or deny the rumours, saying it does not disclose publicly who it interviews as part of investigations.
Russell Findlay, the Scottish Conservatives’ community justice spokesman, claimed the public had a right to know, saying: “It would be extraordinary for Scotland’s national police service to think it appropriate to keep secret something of such fundamental importance.
“The people of Scotland are entitled to know whether the First Minister or her SNP boss husband are questioned by detectives as part of an inquiry into alleged fraud. Such a refusal would be especially wrong given that concerns have already been raised about transparency and due process in relation to this investigation.”
The investigation centres around cash that was raised by the SNP for an independence referendum that was promised by Ms Sturgeon but then never happened.
The appeal raised £482,000 before it was quietly closed down after the SNP lost seats at the 2017 general election and the First Minister abandoned the plan. The SNP claimed the cash raised by the appeal was “earmarked” and would “only be used for the specific purpose of a referendum campaign”.
The party later claimed it had £593,501 in a referendum appeal fund that could be deployed “instantaneously”.
However, party accounts suggested the cash had been spent on other things, leading disgruntled supporters to complain to police, who launched an investigation.
The financial situation became murkier when it emerged that Mr Murrell had loaned the SNP £107,620 interest-free on June 20, 2021, the day after the party’s ruling national executive committee discussed the referendum appeal fund. The SNP has said that the loan was to “assist with cash flow” after the 2021 Holyrood elections.
Ms Sturgeon has appeared uncomfortable when being asked about the loan arrangement. In the final act of her resignation press conference on Wednesday, she refused to say whether she had been questioned by police, or expected to be, about the loan.
She said: “I’m not going to discuss an ongoing police investigation. I wouldn’t do that on any issue, and I’m not going to do it now.”
