In her first public statement since her imprisonment, Nicola Sturgeon said she is innocent.
On her way back to her Glasgow home today, the former first minister declared, “I’ve done nothing wrong.”
Police enquiring about the SNP’s finances questioned her, and on June 11 they released her without charging her pending further inquiry.
I’m sure I haven’t done anything wrong, I can’t say much right now, but I will restate the remark I made last Sunday.
‘I intend to be back in Parliament in the early part of the week, I’ll make myself available for questions then.
‘For now I intend to go home and catch up with some family.’
Asked whether she had considered stepping back from the SNP, she said: ‘I’ve done nothing wrong and that is the only thing I’m going to assert today.’
The then added: ‘I know I’m a public figure, I accept what comes with that, but I’m also a human being that’s entitled to a bit of privacy and my neighbours are also entitled to a bit of that as well.’
She confirmed that no conditions had been placed on her arrest but said: ‘I’m not going to get into anything other than that’
When asked whether she would have suspended herself, she said: ‘Look I’ve done nothing wrong, it’s for others to comment as they see fit but that’s my position.’
Ms Sturgeon was arrested after a long-running investigation – dubbed Operation Branchform – which began in 2021.
The inquiry is linked to the spending of around £600,000 raised by supporters to be earmarked for Scottish independence campaigning.
It is understood there have been complaints the ringfenced cash may have been used improperly by being spent elsewhere.
It came after her husband Peter Murrell was arrested in April. Both he and MSP Colin Beattie, who was SNP treasurer at the time, were released without charge pending further inquiry.
At the time of Ms Sturgeon’s arrest, a spokesperson issued a statement which read: ‘Nicola Sturgeon has today, Sunday, June 11th, by arrangement with Police Scotland attended an interview where she was to be arrested and questioned in relation to Operation Branchform.
‘Nicola has consistently said she would co-operate with the investigation if asked and continues to do so.’
The SNP has said it has been ‘cooperating fully’ with the investigation and would ‘continue to do so’.