Nicola Sturgeon will not visit the Scottish Parliament in person this week and will instead contribute to proceedings remotely.
The former first minister remains the MSP for Glasgow Southside after her shock resignation from the top job in Scottish politics in February.
Sturgeon is under mounting pressure after the home she shares with her husband and former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell was searched earlier this month by police as part of a long-running investigation into SNP finances.
The raid was carried out during the first week of the Scottish Parliament's Easter recess, with MSPs returning to Edinburgh tomorrow.
Her spokesman said: "To ensure the focus of this week is on the new First Minister setting out his priorities for the people of Scotland, Ms Sturgeon has always intended to participate remotely and intends to return to Holyrood in the near future."
Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie blasted: "Try as she might to avoid the spotlight, it’s clear that the former First Minister is at the heart of the chaos engulfing the SNP.
“The failures and secrecy of the Sturgeon era are overshadowing Humza Yousaf.
"Nicola Sturgeon has a responsibility to represent her constituents in parliament regardless of the scrutiny she is under.”
It comes as some question whether the ex-FM can remain in the party after video footage emerged of her urging party members to be "very careful" when discussing SNP finances.
The Sunday Mail published the leaked video with opposition parties calling for new leader Humza Yousaf to suspend her in a move described as “politicking” by Ian Blackford.
“Goodness, gracious, absolutely not, there’s no reason for that at all,” Blackford told BBC Radio Scotland today when asked if the former first minister should be sanctioned by the SNP.
“I think that’s some of our opponents politicking, really, in this context.”
Blackford, the SNP's former leader at Westminster, there was “nothing which was in any way untoward” in the clip.
He added: "What the (former) first minister was reflecting on was the ability of the SNP to conduct itself as an organisation, having the financial resources in order to fight elections and to support its members.”
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