Campervan seized by cops was not insured
Brochure pic of motorhome
The SNP’s luxury motorhome seized by police was never insured, we can reveal.
The £110,000 Niesmann+ Bischoff campervan sat outside the home of Nicola Sturgeon’s mother-in-law for the past two years.
Sources close to the investigation into SNP finances said the swanky motorhome, which we revealed last week had been bought from a dealer in Stafford, near Birmingham, had never been insured.
One said: “It raises questions about the SNP’s story that it was for campaigning. If that was the case, surely it would have been insured in case the party wanted to use it.”
Party insiders previously claimed that the motorhome was supposed to function as a campaign battle bus in the run-up to the 2021 Holyrood election as the country was in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic.
But as the restrictions were eased, plans for the van were then ditched and for two years remained in the driveway of ex-SNP chief executive
Peter Murrell’s mother. It was seized from the Dunfermline property on April 5 – the same day Murrell, who has been married to Sturgeon for 13 years, was arrested and the house he shares with the former first minister was raided by police.
The police probe, dubbed Operation Branchform, is also examining more than 1000 transactions on Amazon, including the purchase of fancy cookware and pens. Officers have also been hunting for unregistered sim cards.
Scottish Labour said: “The campervan story – flimsy as it was – continues to unravel for the SNP. The public deserve answers about what exactly this party thought they were up to.”
The SNP said: “These issues are subject to a live police investigation. The SNP have been cooperating fully and will continue to. However, it is not appropriate to publicly address these issues during this time.”