Nicola Sturgeon is facing an angry backlash after refusing to release the secret statement she gave police investigating the SNP's finances. The former First Minister will not publish the written submission she handed to detectives during the long-running Operation Branchform probe, despite previously indicating she would not object to its release.
Lawyer Confirms No Release of Statement or Interview
Her lawyer, Aamer Anwar, said neither the written statement nor the "no comment" police interview she gave following her arrest in 2023 would be made public. After being detained by detectives, Ms Sturgeon exercised her right to answer "no comment" during questioning before later submitting a written statement to Police Scotland.
The investigation culminated in her former husband, Peter Murrell, being convicted of embezzling more than £400,000 from the SNP while serving as the party's chief executive. Ms Sturgeon has consistently denied any wrongdoing and said she was "deceived, misled and betrayed" by Murrell, who was jailed for more than five years in June.
Anwar Defends Sturgeon's Innocence
In a statement issued on Monday, Mr Anwar said: "Ms Sturgeon's detailed statement produced for Police Scotland was to assist them with their inquiries; not for those who think they could now do a better job than the robust 'gold-plated' financial crime investigation. Ms Sturgeon is innocent, as evidenced by the fact that she was not charged, prosecuted nor convicted of any crime. Having been exonerated through the proper process, there is no onus on her to now prove her innocence in the court of media opinion. Neither Ms Sturgeon's written statement or her police interview will be released."
Political Opponents Accuse Sturgeon of Lack of Transparency
The decision prompted an angry backlash from political opponents, who accused the former SNP leader of refusing to be transparent. Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: "It was barely a month ago that Nicola Sturgeon said on national TV there was nothing in her statement that she would not want to be published. Yet now her lawyer has insisted that neither her written statement or her police interview will be released. The question is – why not? If Nicola Sturgeon has nothing to hide, then why is she so opposed to her statement being published?"
Scottish Conservative deputy leader Rachael Hamilton MSP said: "This blows apart any pretence that Nicola Sturgeon is prepared to be transparent about this SNP scandal. There is nothing stopping her from releasing the statement she gave to the police, yet she has decided she prefers hiding behind statements from her lawyer. Sturgeon promised to co-operate fully with police yet sat for hours saying nothing while officers were questioning her. The police also made it clear that her written statement left many questions unanswered."
