‘Beyond outrageous’ to ask Sturgeon to comment on police briefings, says lawyer

Nicola Sturgeon’s lawyer has said it is “disgraceful and beyond outrageous” that she has been asked to comment on background briefings to the media by police and the Crown Office.

Aamer Anwar, who represents the former first minister, made the statement following claims that police wanted to put further questions to her after she was interviewed as part of the Operation Branchform investigation.  

Sturgeon was arrested in June 2023 and questioned by Police Scotland but was released on the same day without charge.  

In March 2025, she was cleared as part of the investigation, with police confirming that she would face no further action.  

It was later revealed that she answered “no comment” to detectives when she was questioned in relation to the probe, something that Sturgeon’s lawyer defended last month, saying the response was “standard advice offered on a regular basis in our jurisdiction”.    

Following that interview in June 2023, she later submitted a “detailed” written statement to the investigation in the same year. However, it has now been reported that Police Scotland wanted to put more questions to her.

Anwar said in a statement: “Ms Sturgeon finds it disgraceful and beyond outrageous that she is being asked to comment on so called ‘background’ briefings by the police/Crown.

“Whilst anonymous sources have desperately tried to insinuate guilt, it is clear following a two-year gold-plated and robust investigation, Ms Sturgeon was neither charged, prosecuted nor convicted of any offence.

“Ms Sturgeon is innocent of any crime and whilst that might be a source of annoyance for some, it remains a fact that it was Mr Murrell who was charged, tried, convicted and imprisoned for his crimes today.

“Ms Sturgeon remains angry, hurt and distressed about the devastating impact of Mr Murrell’s actions on her, his family, friends and the SNP.

“Ms Sturgeon was utterly deceived and let down by her husband whom she had trusted. Why he acted as he did will always be beyond her comprehension. She is utterly appalled that he did so and will never understand why.  

“There will be no further comment.”

Earlier today at the High Court in Edinburgh, Murrell was sentenced to five years and three months for embezzling over £400,000 of SNP funds.