NICOLA Sturgeon has defended her reported decision to give “no comment” answers to the police during her arrest, saying it's standard legal advice.
The former first minister has come under fire for giving no comment answers during her arrest and has rejected claims that the move hindered the investigation into SNP finances.
In a statement issued by solicitor Aamer Anwar on behalf of Sturgeon, he said the answer was standard legal advice, adding that the former MSP later insisted on providing a “detailed written response” to police questions.
Anwar argued that her position was “no different” to that set out on Monday around the criminal conduct of her estranged husband, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, who admitted to embezzling more than £400,000 on Monday.
“In relation to the advice tendered to Ms Sturgeon to make no comment, this was by her solicitor, formerly a very senior crown counsel at Crown Office,” the lawyer said.
He said Sturgeon said a “no comment” response was “standard advice offered on a regular basis in our jurisdiction” and that it was “deeply worrying” that Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay described her “right to silence” as a “tactic of organised crime”.
Anwar said Sturgeon later insisted on providing a “detailed written response” to Police Scotland questions.
“The idea that a highly resourced inquiry was hampered by a no comment interview is nonsensical,” he said.
“Had there been any evidence whatsoever of criminality against Ms Sturgeon, there can be no doubt that this gold-plated investigation would have led to Ms Sturgeon being charged and prosecuted.
“To make it abundantly clear it was not the role of the First Minister to sign off accounts that was for the party treasurer.
“There appears to be an assumption that as FM, when Mr Murrell was busy buying multiple pens or pepper pots etc she was with him, Ms Sturgeon was not, as unsurprisingly she was busy with other matters.”
On Monday, Murrell pleaded guilty to embezzling more than £400,000 from the party at Edinburgh High Court.
The 61-year-old was first arrested in April 2023 as part of the police investigation into the SNP’s finances, Operation Branchform, and was charged in April 2024.
He was accused of embezzling the funds from the party between August 2010 and January 2022 and pleaded guilty to an amended indictment, after initially being charged with embezzling £459,000 from the SNP.
He admitted using SNP funds to buy items, including a motorhome and luxury goods, and towards the purchase of two cars.
