Police Withhold Nicola Sturgeon's SNP Finance Statement, Citing Ongoing Investigation

Police Scotland has confirmed that a written statement submitted by former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon concerning the Scottish National Party's (SNP) financial affairs will not be publicly released. The force cited the ongoing nature of its investigation into the party's funding as the reason for withholding the document.

Ms Sturgeon, who was arrested and questioned as part of the police inquiry in June, exercised her right to a 'no comment' interview at that time. Subsequently, she provided a written statement to officers. Despite calls for transparency, particularly given the high-profile nature of the investigation and its implications for Scottish politics, authorities maintain that disclosure could prejudice the inquiry.

The investigation, codenamed Operation Branchform, centres on the alleged misuse of over £600,000 in donations. These funds were specifically earmarked for a second independence referendum campaign but are believed to have been spent elsewhere. The inquiry has previously seen the arrests of former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell and former treasurer Colin Beattie, both of whom were later released without charge, pending further investigation. The refusal to release Ms Sturgeon's statement reinforces the tightly controlled flow of information surrounding an inquiry that has already cast a considerable shadow over the SNP's operational integrity and financial practices.