SNP treasurer arrested in latest development in police probe into party's finances
Colin Beattie has been arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the SNP
Wiki commons
SNP treasurer Colin Beattie has been arrested in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.
Police Scotland confirmed that as part of an ongoing investigation the 71-year-old is being questioned by detectives.
A Police Scotland statement said: “A 71-year-old man has today, Tuesday, 18 April 2023, been arrested as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.
“The man is in custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives.
Police Scotland conducted searches at a number of properties in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the party
PA
“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.”
The arrest of Beattie, who also serves as an MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, is the second in relation to the investigation into how more than £600,000 in donations to the party earmarked for an independence referendum had been used.
Questions were raised after its accounts showed it had just under £97,000 in the bank at the end of 2019, and total net assets of about £272,000.
Less than two weeks after Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, Peter Murrell, was also arrested by police investigating the SNP’s finances.
Former chief executive of the party, Murrell was questioned for almost 12 hours by detectives before being released without charge, pending further inquiries.
Last year it emerged Murrell gave a loan of more than £100,000 to the SNP to help it out with a "cash flow" issue after the last election.
Officers from Police Scotland outside the home of former chief executive of the Scottish National Party (SNP) Peter Murrell
PA
Sturgeon and Murrell's Glasgow home was also sealed off and raided by police.
SNP HQ in Edinburgh was searched with officers leaving the office block after several hours.
Police Scotland launched a formal investigation into the SNP's finances in July 2021 after receiving complaints about how donations were used.
Beattie has been an MSP since 2011 and was the SNP’s treasurer from 2004 until 2020, before being briefly replaced by Douglas Chapman and then returning to the role when Chapman resigned a year later.