Peter Murrell 'warned of arrest two days before it happened', report says

FORMER SNP chief executive Peter Murrell had two days prior warning that he was to be arrested for a second time – and so senior SNP figures also knew, a report has claimed.

Murrell, who is married to former SNP leader and first minister Nicola Sturgeon, was arrested and charged in connection with allegations of embezzlement on April 18.

He had previously been arrested and released without charge, pending further investigation, in April 2023.

The second arrest came amid a three-year long police probe into SNP finances dubbed Operation Branchform.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon speaks out after husband charged by police

According to reports in The Times, SNP government ministers knew of police plans to re-arrest Murrell two days ahead of time through the grapevine.

Sources told that paper that Murrell had been invited to a police interview under arrest on April 16 – and news spread through senior levels of the party.

However, an SNP source insisted to this paper that there "were not any rumours" and SNP politicians at Holyrood did not know of the arrest before it happened.

Murrell was arrested at 9.13am on April 18 and ultimately charged around nine hours later at 6.35pm, police said on the day.

First Minister Humza Yousaf previously said he had only heard about the news of the charge when police issued that statement.

However, he did not address when he had heard of an upcoming arrest.

In their statement on April 18, police further said: "A report will be sent to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in due course. The man is no longer in police custody.

"The matter is active for the purposes of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and the public are therefore advised to exercise caution if discussing it on social media."

It is understood that a report has not yet been sent to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

Sturgeon and former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie have also been arrested, questioned, and released without charge amid the police probe into party finances.

Neither has faced a re-arrest like Murrell.