The cost of a police investigation into the SNP’s finances rises to almost £2 million as spending on the operation increases

Earlier this year, police dramatically stepped up their investigation into the SNP’s finances as the costs of the investigation rose to almost £2 million.

Detectives spent more than £425,000 on Operation Branchform between February and August, roughly double the amount spent in the previous three years.

The revival of activity, which coincided with the impeachment of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell and the handing of his findings to prosecutors, took the total costs to £1.8 million.

Earlier this year, a freedom of information request revealed that police had spent £1.37m on the investigation as of February 29 this year.

Broadcaster LBC found Police Scotland had spent a further £426,466 up to August, meaning total wage costs so far were £1,704,881 plus £95,391 in overtime.

Former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell (right) has been charged in connection with the embezzlement of funds

Yesterday, Scotland’s top prosecutor dodged media questions about why Branchform waited so long and whether prosecutors were “scared” of such a politically charged case.

At a meeting at Holyrood, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC, who has withdrawn from dealing with the inquiry, said it would be “totally inappropriate” to comment on it.

Police Scotland first received a complaint about SNP finances in March 2021, when a former supporter alleged that funds raised for another referendum had been wrongly spent.

As part of the operation, police searched the home Murrell shares with his wife, former first minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Nicola Sturgeon was arrested and questioned as part of Operation Branchform

The party raised over £600,000 for the divisional independence campaign, but its accounts showed less than the reserve amount.

Operation Branchform began in July 2021 and has been hanging over the SNP ever since.

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, her husband Murrell and then party treasurer Colin Beattie were arrested and questioned last year.

The three were initially released without charge, but Murrell was charged in April this year in connection with embezzlement of funds.

In May, police sent a “standard prosecution report” to the Crown covering incidents that occurred between 2016 and 2023.

On August 9, Scottish police handed over their full findings to prosecutors.

Senior Crown Office lawyers are understood to be considering whether there is sufficient evidence to prosecute Mr Murrell and whether it is in the “public interest” to do so.

Police Chief Jo Farrell said on September 23 that the Crown had not yet responded and officers were “still waiting for guidance”.

Scottish Conservative leader Craig Hoy said: “The continued spiraling cost of this long-running investigation only reinforces the seriousness of Police Scotland’s work in investigating the uncertainties surrounding the SNP’s finances.

“This significant hit to an already stretched police budget could have been avoided had senior SNP figures been open about their financial affairs from the outset.”

The SNP said: “As this matter remains current it would be inappropriate to comment on it.”