Back to Scotland, where former chief executive of the SNP, Peter Murrell, has appeared in court charged with embezzlement. The ex-husband of Dear Leader Nicola Sturgeon was charged in connection with the ongoing police probe into the party’s funds and finances last April – and this morning appeared in Edinburgh Sheriff Court. And now, it transpires, Sturgeon and ex-treasurer Colin Beattie are no longer under investigation by Police Scotland. It’s the latest set of developments in the Operation Branchform investigation, which has limped on for a staggering four years.
Speaking outside her Glasgow home today, Sturgeon told reporters it was ‘a day of mixed emotions’, adding:
I am completely in the clear. That is the outcome I had always expected. As I have said to you many times, I have done nothing wrong so I was confident of reaching this point and getting to this outcome. Obviously it is a relief now to have that confirmed. It won’t surprise anyone to hear that this has not been an easy experience.
In times like this you find resilience you don’t know you have, you find strength you don’t know you have. I’ve certainly experience that over the last couple of years. I’m a stronger person today than I was when this kicked off. But that said, I wish none of it had happened.
Meanwhile Murrell made no plea in court today, and the former nationalist CEO has been released on bail, with no date set for his next appearance. Commenting on the development, a Crown Office spokesperson remarked that: ‘Professional prosecutors from COPFS and independent counsel are dealing with this case without involving the Lord Advocate or Solicitor General. All Scotland’s prosecutors operate independently of political influence.’
The probe into the SNP’s finances started in March 2021 after a complaint was made by Sean Clerkin about a ‘missing’ sum of £600,000 fundraised for a second independence referendum campaign. Do today’s developments signal an end to the long-running inquiry? Stay tuned…
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