Top lawyer comments on police investigation into Nicola Sturgeon | Politics | News

A lawyer has spoken out about the police investigation into Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP’s finances, which remain unresolved as the Crown Office faces delays in deciding next steps.

Peter Murrell, the former SNP chief executive and husband of Nicola Sturgeon, was charged with embezzling party funds in April but there has been little progress since then, leaving him in legal uncertainty.

Sturgeon himself and the party’s former treasurer Colin Beattie are still under investigation, although police have not yet cleared them of any involvement – meaning they are still technically suspects in the investigation.

The investigation was initially sparked when frustrated independence campaigners raised concerns about whether £600,000 earmarked for a second independence referendum had been misused.

This led to a broader investigation into potential fraud and misuse of party funds.

In April 2023, police searched Murrell and Sturgeon’s shared home and a year later Murrell was formally charged. However, despite the passage of time, the case remains in limbo.

Thomas Leonard Ross KC, a prominent Scottish criminal defense lawyer, expressed concern about the ongoing delays and stressed that the investigation “cannot continue indefinitely” after charges have been laid. The Crown Office is currently reviewing the police report but no decision has been made on how to proceed.

He told Sky News: “Once someone is charged, they have the right to a trial within a reasonable time.”

“Before a person is formally charged, there could be a dispute about whether the clock is running correctly. There is absolutely no doubt that it is running in relation to Mr Murrell, so the police and the Crown Office certainly need to be aware of that.” . The police investigation cannot continue indefinitely.”

A Crown Office spokesman told our sister newspaper Scottish Daily Express: “Before deciding what action, if any, to take in the public interest, prosecutors will consider whether there is sufficient evidence. There must be evidence from at least two different sources to establish that a crime was committed and that the person under investigation was the perpetrator.”

The protracted saga took its toll on the SNP and damaged the party’s electoral fortunes as it was humiliated in the general election and saw its poll numbers fall.

It has also weakened the wider Scottish independence movement, which largely relies on a strong SNP for leadership.

One of the original whistleblowers, Scexit activist Sean Clerkin, who was instrumental in triggering the investigation in 2021, has expressed frustration at the delays, arguing that they are hampering the campaign for Scottish independence.