THE Scottish Tories have called for Nicola Sturgeon to be suspended after she was arrested in connection with an investigation into the SNP's finances.
Police confirmed the former first minister was being questioned by detectives in relation to the probe.
A spokesperson for the MSP said she attended an interview on Sunday with police "by arrangement" where she was to be arrested and questioned in relation to Operation Branchform.
Tory MSP Craig Hoy has insisted she should be suspended from the SNP by First Minister Humza Yousaf.
Tory leader Douglas Ross added on Twitter the SNP "is in chaos" and the situation was "engulfing" the party.
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.
“The SNP set that precedent when politicians such as Michelle Thomson and Natalie McGarry were under investigation and must do so again here.
“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.”
Police investigation proceed without interference. There has been a culture of secrecy in SNP. The same culture that leads to police tents in front gardens created the deeply dysfunctional government that is currently failing Scots. Humza must tell Scotland what he knew. pic.twitter.com/FtgQmkYiwF
— Ian Murray MP (@IanMurrayMP) June 11, 2023
Labour MP Ian Murray has, meanwhile, said Yousaf "must urgently come clean on what he knows".
He 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 SNP is in chaos. This scandal is engulfing @HumzaYousaf and @NicolaSturgeon’s party. https://t.co/XaoFg9mBFe
— Douglas Ross MP MSP (@Douglas4Moray) June 11, 2023
"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 LibDem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the arrest will have "huge ramifications" for the SNP and "the future of Scottish politics".
