NICOLA Sturgeon has hit back at accusations after her estranged husband Peter Murrell was remanded in custody after pleading guilty to embezzling over £400k from the SNP.
In a additional statement – after posting on Instagram that she had “no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever” that Murrell was “using SNP funds for personal purposes” – the former first minister addressed specific questions over "how I could not have known about" Murrell's actions.
“Today the media is reporting details of items that my former husband has now admitted buying with SNP funds. I have seen questions raised about how I could not have known about this," Sturgeon stated.
"I want to reiterate that I had no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever that personal items had been purchased using SNP funds.
"I was cleared of any wrongdoing after a lengthy and thorough investigation."
Addressing specific items such as the numerous game consoles and campervan bought by Murrell, she said: "In relation to many of the items in question, for example expensive watches and games consoles, I was not aware of them having been purchased at all.
"Indeed in relation to the item of largest value – a campervan – I was not aware of its existence until it featured in the police investigation in early 2023, nor was it parked in our driveway as has been claimed by some.
"In respect of any items I was aware of Peter having purchased, I had no reason to doubt that he had used his own money.
"We were both earning high salaries and, due to the responsibilities of my job, rarely socialised or went on holidays. We had separate bank accounts and I had no access to his financial records.”
Until he stood down in 2023 during the leadership race to succeed Sturgeon, Murrell had been chief executive of the SNP for more than 20 years.
They had previously been one of the most powerful couples in UK politics for many years, with Sturgeon serving for more than eight years as Scottish first minister and SNP leader, while Murrell was the chief executive of the party.
In January last year, Sturgeon announced she and Murrell had “decided to end” their marriage.
