Nicola Sturgeon, the far-left former First Minister of Scotland, has been arrested on Sunday in connection to a police corruption probe concerning the finances of the leftist-separatist Scottish National Party.
Police Scotland has arrested former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who stepped down from her post as the head of the locally devolved Scottish government earlier this year amid a political scandal involving a transgender prisoner as well as allegations that her party misappropriated some £600,000 donated by activists to launch another Scottish independence campaign.
In a statement released on social media, Police Scotland said: “A 52-year-old woman has today, Sunday, 11 June, 2023, been arrested as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.
“The woman is in custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives. A report will be sent to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
“The matter is active for the purposes of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and the public are therefore advised to exercise caution if discussing it on social media.
“As the investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further.”
Sturgeon is just the latest high-profile figure within the leftist SNP to be detained during Operation Branchform, which was launched to investigate the alleged missing £600,000 in political contributions meant to be spent on launching another referendum for Scotland to leave the United Kingdom.
The leftist politician, who became the first female leader of the country in 2014 and who currently holds the distinction of being the longest-serving first minister, resigned from the role in February of this year. The resignation came amid a political firestorm after she was visibly stumped during an interview after being questioned if a biologically male rapist who claimed to be transgender was, in fact, a woman or not.
However, despite her fall from power often being attributed to the transgender prisoner scandal, shortly after her resignation, police launched an investigation into the alleged missing funds. In April, police officers searched the home of the former first minister as well as the Scottish Nationalist Party’s headquarters in Edinburgh.
On the same day, Sturgeon’s husband and former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell was arrested and questioned by police, however, he was later released without charge pending further investigation. It was later reported, that as a part of the police investigation, a motorhome valued at around £110,000 was seized by police from the home of Murrell’s mother.
On Sunday, a spokesman for Ms Sturgeon told the BBC: “Nicola Sturgeon has today, Sunday 11 June, 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 cooperate with the investigation if asked and continues to do so.”
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