2 weeks Ago By Dale Miller
Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has declared there was never a “scrap of evidence” against her in the probe into the SNP’s finances. Speaking outside of her home near Glasgow just hours after being cleared over the Operation Branchform probe, Ms Sturgeon reiterated she had done nothing wrong. Responding to media questions, the former party leader said: “As first minister of this country for the best part of a decade, I have utmost respect for the police and for the prosecution authorities, and I’m never going to say or do anything to undermine that.
“All I can say is that I have done nothing wrong and I don’t think there was a scrap of evidence that I had done anything wrong. “And therefore, of course, to have something like this hanging over me for almost two years now has been difficult. It’s been frustrating and I don’t think I’m saying anything there that people would be surprised to hear.
” Ms Sturgeon and former party treasurer Colin Beattie had both both arrested in 2023, but released pending further investigation in the probe. Mr Beattie has also been cleared over the police investigation. Ms Sturgeon said: “I think it won’t surprise anybody to hear me say that it’s not been an easy experience, so to reach this point today it is obviously something I am relieved about.
“I’ve been try to get on with my life and I now intend to do that.” Being cleared was “the outcome I would have always expected”, Ms Sturgeon has said. “I am completely in the clear, that is the outcome I would always have expected,” she said.
“As I have said to all of you many times, I have done nothing wrong so I was confident of reaching at this point and getting to this outcome.”.
