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Nicola Sturgeon’s legal team has defended her choice to remain silent during police questioning linked to an investigation into the Scottish National Party’s finances. Following her arrest in June 2023 as part of Operation Branchform, Sturgeon reportedly refused to answer detectives’ questions at Falkirk police station, opting instead for the standard “no comment” response.
Her lawyer, Aamer Anwar, explained that this approach was based on routine legal advice and contested claims that it obstructed the ongoing inquiry. Anwar emphasized that Sturgeon later submitted a comprehensive written statement responding to the police’s inquiries. This investigation ultimately led to the conviction of her estranged husband, Peter Murrell, who admitted to embezzling over £400,000 from the SNP across more than a decade.
Murrell, formerly the SNP’s chief executive, acknowledged that funds were spent on a range of luxury items, including vehicles, jewellery, and other personal goods, some of which were reportedly given to Sturgeon. Despite this, her legal representative firmly stated that she neither knew nor suspected that SNP money had been used for such purposes. Sturgeon had initially expressed willingness to cooperate fully with the police following her husband’s arrest but later followed the advice of senior counsel to remain silent during direct questioning.
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay criticized Sturgeon’s refusal to answer police questions, calling her silence a tactic commonly employed by organized criminals. On social media and in interviews, he highlighted the contrast between her public assurances of cooperation and the reality of her police interview. In response, Anwar defended the legal strategy, describing such a “no comment” stance as common practice and criticizing Findlay’s comments as deeply concerning. Murrell has since been remanded in custody and is scheduled for sentencing in the coming month
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