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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Colin Beattie: Police arrest SNP treasurer in finance probe | Colin Beattie: Police arrest SNP treasurer in finance probe |
| (33 minutes later) | |
| Mr Beattie was reappointed as the SNP's treasurer in 2021 after previously having held the role for 16 years | Mr Beattie was reappointed as the SNP's treasurer in 2021 after previously having held the role for 16 years |
| SNP treasurer Colin Beattie has been arrested by police investigating the party's finances. | SNP treasurer Colin Beattie has been arrested by police investigating the party's finances. |
| Mr Beattie, 71, has been taken into custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives. | Mr Beattie, 71, has been taken into custody and is being questioned by Police Scotland detectives. |
| A spokesman for the force said the arrest was made in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the SNP. | A spokesman for the force said the arrest was made in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the SNP. |
| It comes two weeks after former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell - Nicola Sturgeon's husband - was also arrested. | |
| Officers spent two days searching the Glasgow home of Mr Murrell and Ms Sturgeon, and the party's headquarters in Edinburgh. | |
| SNP ruling body orders transparency review | |
| Leaked video shows Sturgeon dismiss finance concern | |
| Peter Murrell released without charge after arrest | |
| A luxury motorhome was seized by officers from outside a property in Dunfermline on the same morning that Mr Murrell was arrested. | |
| The Mail on Sunday reported that the vehicle had been parked outside the home of Mr Murrell's 92-year-old mother since January 2021. | |
| Mr Murrell was later released without charge pending further investigation. | |
| Mr Beattie is the MSP for the Midlothian North and Musselburgh constituency. | Mr Beattie is the MSP for the Midlothian North and Musselburgh constituency. |
| He served as the SNP's treasurer for 16 years before being defeated in an internal election by Douglas Chapman in 2020, but returned to the role when Mr Chapman resigned a year later. | He served as the SNP's treasurer for 16 years before being defeated in an internal election by Douglas Chapman in 2020, but returned to the role when Mr Chapman resigned a year later. |
| Mr Chapman quit after saying he had "not received the support or financial information" that was needed to carry out his duties as treasurer. | Mr Chapman quit after saying he had "not received the support or financial information" that was needed to carry out his duties as treasurer. |
| Police spent two days searching the home of Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell earlier this month | Police spent two days searching the home of Nicola Sturgeon and Peter Murrell earlier this month |
| Police Scotland launched a formal investigation into the SNP's finances in July 2021 after receiving complaints about how donations were used. | Police Scotland launched a formal investigation into the SNP's finances in July 2021 after receiving complaints about how donations were used. |
| The SNP raised a total of £666,953 through referendum-related appeals between 2017 and 2020. The party pledged to spend these funds on the independence campaign. | The SNP raised a total of £666,953 through referendum-related appeals between 2017 and 2020. The party pledged to spend these funds on the independence campaign. |
| 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. | 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. |
| Nicola Sturgeon told the SNP's ruling body in 2021 that the party's finances had "never been stronger" | Nicola Sturgeon told the SNP's ruling body in 2021 that the party's finances had "never been stronger" |
| Nicola Sturgeon told the SNP's ruling body in 2021 that the party's finances had "never been stronger" | Nicola Sturgeon told the SNP's ruling body in 2021 that the party's finances had "never been stronger" |
| Last year it emerged Mr 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. | |
| The SNP had repaid about half of the money by October of that year. | |
| On Sunday, leaked video footage emerged that showed Ms Sturgeon - the former SNP leader and first minister - playing down fears about the party's finances. | |
| The footage, published by the Sunday Mail, is said to be from a virtual meeting of the party's ruling body in March 2021. | The footage, published by the Sunday Mail, is said to be from a virtual meeting of the party's ruling body in March 2021. |
| Ms Sturgeon told National Executive Committee (NEC) members the party's finances had never been stronger and warned of the impact of going public with concerns. | Ms Sturgeon told National Executive Committee (NEC) members the party's finances had never been stronger and warned of the impact of going public with concerns. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| SNP (Scottish National Party) | SNP (Scottish National Party) |