Former Scottish Chief Minister Nicola Sturgeon was arrested on Sunday in the course of the investigation into the illegal funding of the Scottish National Party (SNP), but was released without charge (pending the investigation) after three hours and average and after being questioned by the police.
Sturgeon resigned last February after a series of political fiascoes, from his failed campaign for a second independence referendum to the controversy generated by Scotland’s trans law. At the time of her resignation, Sturgeon evaded questions about her alleged involvement in the scandal of illegal financing of the SNP, after the investigation opened by the Police, which on Sunday justified the arrest of her as a “suspect “.
A few days after her resignation, her husband, Peter Murrell, the party’s chief executive, was arrested for his role in a loan of 600,000 pounds (670,000 euros) for the campaign of the second referendum on Scottish independence.
Police searched Sturgeon’s family home and seized dozens of documents related to the investigation. SNP treasurer Colin Beattie was also arrested on April 18 and released after a few hours.
After his release, Sturgeon issued a statement on Twitter, in which he maintains that he is innocent. “Obviously, I can’t go into detail. However, I do want to say this, and to say it in the strongest possible way: innocence is not just a presumption to which I am entitled by law. I have no doubt that I am innocent of any crime.”
Sturgeon’s resignation precipitated a contest for the leadership of the SNP, in which his “protégé”, Humza Yousaf, won. The nationalist party has since suffered a noticeable drop in the polls and Yousaf himself decided to renounce plans for a second referendum or even the idea of ??considering the next general election as “a de facto referendum”, as Sturgeon argued. .
The former chief minister still had broad popular support in Scotland last autumn, bolstered by her leadership during Covid, in contrast to Boris Johnson’s stumbles. Her fate began to change, however, with the impetus of the trans law initially approved by the Scottish Parliament, despite the great division created in public opinion and the decision of the Rishi Sunak Government to take her to court.
The British Government had already opened a first legal front on account of the second independence referendum. The Supreme Court ruled that Sturgeon could not hold a new referendum without Westminster’s consent, as happened in 2014 (when UK membership won independence by 55% to 45%).
The SNP’s illegal funding scandal was already knocking on Sturgeon’s door when she resigned after eight and a half years as chief minister. Despite her attempt to stay out of it, after the arrest of her husband, the police siege has tightened in recent weeks.
A Sturgeon spokesman assured that his arrest had been arranged with the Police to take his statement in the so-called Operation Branchform on the illegal financing of the SNP. “Nicola has consistently cooperated with the investigation and will continue to do so,” said the aforementioned spokesman.
Police Scotland simply confirmed the arrest of a 52-year-old woman, for her connection to finances under investigation by the SNP, and her “remaining in custody” while being questioned by detectives. Her husband Peter Murrell was released without charge 12 hours after his arrest.
In a brief statement after his release, Sturgeon defended his “innocence” in the funding scandal and said he felt “shock and deep anguish” after ultimately spending seven hours in police custody.
“I know that this investigation is making it difficult for people, and I am grateful to many who continue to trust and appreciate that it would never do (the party) any harm,” said the former SNP leader.
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