The SNP Justice Secretary has accused a Tory MSP of trying to “lure” her into talking about the police probe into SNP finances. Angela Constance said “no discussions” had taken place about setting targets for the speedy resolution of cases amid concerns about Operation Branchform.
The probe was launched by Police Scotland in July 2021 to investigate how more than £600,000 of indyref2 donations to the SNP were ultimately spent. Nicola Sturgeon was SNP leader at the time and her husband Peter Murrell was party chief executive.
Their marital home near Glasgow was searched in April 2023 and Murrell was charged in connection with embezzlement around a year later. Prosecutors have yet to announce whether he will face trial.
Lord Carloway, who retires from his role as head of the judiciary next month, also said recently there appears to have been a “hold up”.
At Holyrood, Tory MSP Craig Hoy raised the judge’s comments and whether there is a generally a risk of compromising a fair trial in cases that take years to investigate. He also asked about setting “mandatory targets” for the time it takes to bring charges or mount prosecutions.
He asked if this would be necessary to address general fears that “justice delayed can become justice denied”.
Constance replied: “Despite some of his preface and words, I do fear that this is just another attempt to lure myself into commenting on live matters. On targets, she said: ”I have not had any discussions and it’s not something that I have given any current thought to.”
Sturgeon was arrested in 2023, but she was released without charge. A Police Scotland spokesperson has denied the force is behind any delay in Branchform: “On August 9, 2024, we presented the findings of the investigation to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and we await their direction on what further action should be taken.”
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