Nicola Sturgeon has been sensationally arrested during a police investigation into alleged SNP fraud.
The former First Minister is now facing calls to be suspended from her party after she was invited in for questioning by detectives.
Her spokesperson said: “By arrangement with Police Scotland, attended an interview where she was to be arrested and questioned in relation to Operation Branchform.
"Nicola has consistently said she would co-operate with the investigation if asked and continues to do so."
The bombshell arrest is the latest development in a police probe into how £600,000 of indyref2 donations were spent when she was SNP leader.
Her husband, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, and one-time party treasurer Colin Beattie were arrested and released without charge in April.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "A 52-year-old woman has today, Sunday, June 11, 2023, been arrested as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.
"The woman is in custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives.
"A report will be sent to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
"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.
"As the investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further."
During the earlier arrest of Murrell, a search was carried out on the home shared by the couple. Police erected a tent in the front garden of their house.
Labour Shadow Scotland Secretary Ian Murray said: “This is a deeply concerning development and the Police Scotland investigation must be allowed to proceed without interference.
“For too long, a culture of secrecy and cover-up has been allowed to fester at the heart of the SNP.
“The same culture that leads to police tents in front gardens created the deeply dysfunctional government that is currently failing Scots.
“Humza Yousaf must urgently come clean on what he knows - the people of Scotland deserve answers.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "Obviously we can't comment on a live police investigation and justice must be allowed to take its course.
"It's fair to say that today's events will have huge ramifications both for the SNP and the future of Scottish politics."
The Scottish Tories called on Humza Yousaf to suspend Sturgeon from the SNP soon after her arrest was announced.
The party said that the suspensions of former MPs Natalie McGarry and Michelle Thomson set a precedent.
Scottish Conservative Chairman Craig Hoy said: “Nicola Sturgeon and other senior SNP figures – including Humza Yousaf – must cooperate fully with this police investigation and commit to full transparency surrounding it.
“The SNP continue to be engulfed in murkiness and chaos. Humza Yousaf must now show some leadership and suspend his predecessor from the SNP.
“This extremely serious matter is continuing to escalate and the result is that the SNP are totally distracted at the worst possible time.
“This is the time they should be focused on the real priorities facing the people of Scotland, such as the cost-of-living crisis, fixing our NHS and strengthening our economy.”
The investigation into the SNP's finances began in 2021 following complaints donations raised for a referendum were diverted elsewhere.
A luxury campervan worth more than £100,000 was seized from Murrell’s mother’s home in Dunfermline on the day he was arrested.
The Record also reported that police searching Murrell and Sturgeon’s home hunted for a women’s razor and a wheelbarrow at the property.
Sturgeon quit as First Minister in February this year and denied her departure had anything to do with the police probe.
She was SNP leader and First Minister between 2014 and 2023.
Her husband stepped down as party chief executive during the recent SNP leadership contest after the party misled journalists over its membership figures.
Humza Yousaf, who took over from Sturgeon, said of the police investigation in May: “I’m certainly not going to deny it has been bloody frustrating having to deal with these issues, but it certainly won’t distract me from the job as First Minister.”
An SNP spokesperson said: “These issues are subject to a live police investigation.
“The SNP have been co-operating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so, however it is not appropriate to publicly address any issues while that investigation is ongoing.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Given that there is a live police investigation, it would be inappropriate to comment.”
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