Top Civil Servant Alerted Early to Peter Murrell Arrest
Scotland’s top civil servant was informed about Peter Murrell’s arrest almost immediately after it happened. An email from John-Paul Marks, permanent secretary to the Scottish government, reveals Chief Constable Iain Livingstone called him at 8am on April 5 to report Murrell was in custody. Police had shown up at the Glasgow home of Murrell and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon around 7.35am. A police press release followed at 9.30am.
Emails Expose Early Warning to Scottish Government
The email, released under freedom of information laws, shows Marks regarded it as routine to get updates from Livingstone on major Police Scotland actions. Marks told First Minister Humza Yousaf the arrest was made following Crown Office agreement and only informed him after the fact, with the Chief Constable’s permission. He insisted future talks about Operation Branchform—the probe into SNP finances—should go through him alone.
SNP Cash Scandal Under Scrutiny After Arrests
This bombshell lands amid an ongoing investigation into how the SNP handled £660,000 in activist donations. The probe has already seen arrests of Murrell, former SNP treasurer Peter Beattie, and Sturgeon herself on June 11. All three have since been released without charges, but the inquiry shows no signs of slowing down.
More Emails Reveal Early Notice of Peter Beattie Arrest
Another email from Marks, sent right after Beattie’s arrest on April 18, tells how the First Minister was again informed post-arrest—despite the news already being public via a police statement, again on the Chief Constable’s advice.
Claims of No Prior Knowledge Now in Doubt
The emails directly challenge Sturgeon and Yousaf’s earlier denials of any advance knowledge of the arrests. Meanwhile, Chief Constable Livingstone had strongly rejected suggestions the Scottish government was tipped off beforehand.
