The former leader of Scotland made it clear late Sunday afternoon that she had done “nothing wrong”. Nicola Sturgeon was detained by Scottish police for questioning in the early afternoon as part of an investigation into possible financial irregularities involving her party.
“It is shocking and deeply distressing to find myself in the situation I found myself in today, when I am certain that I have not committed any crime,” she wrote in a statement released after being released by police and without charges.
“I would never do anything to harm the SNP (Scottish National Party) or the country,” he added. The party he represented is the dominant political force in Scotland.
Sturgeon insisted, “Innocence is not merely a presumption to which I am entitled by law. I know beyond any doubt that I am indeed innocent of any wrongdoing.”
In the early afternoon, Scottish Politics confirmed that “a 52-year-old woman had been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party”. Detectives questioned the former leader for about seven hours, but eventually released her without charge. Sturgeon’s arrest is the third in the investigation that has shocked Scottish politicians. Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, the former CEO of the SNP, was arrested in April as part of the investigation. Party treasurer Colin Beattie was arrested the same month.
The scandal plunged the SNP into a deep crisis and undermined the dream of an independent Scotland. Sturgeon stepped down as Prime Minister of Scotland in February, saying she lacked “the energy” to continue.
Source: DN
