SNP treasurer Colin Beattie arrested in probe into party finances when Nicola Sturgeon was leader 

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 revealed this morning that the 71-year-old had been held by detectives probing what happened to more than £600,000 in donations to the party.

It comes a fortnight after Nicola Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell, the former party chief executive, was arrested and then released.

Officers also searched their Glasgow family home and the party headquarters in Edinburgh. 

Mr Beattie has been the MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh since 2011. 

It comes a fortnight after Nicola Sturgeon’s husband Peter Murrell, the former party chief executive, was arrested and then released.

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.’

The SNP is being investigated over donations of more than £600,000 it received between 2017 and 2020 to bankroll a new attempt to split the United Kingdom.

Questions have been raised over what happened to that money after Boris Johnson, as prime minister, blocked the new vote.

SNP accounts showed it had less than £100,000 in the bank at the end of 2019, plus assets of £272,000. 

An investigation was launched in July 2021 after complaints were received. Detectives are looking at claims that the cash was diverted elsewhere.

Mr Murrell was the party’s chief executive from 1999 until he resigned in the middle of the leadership election to replace his wife last month. 

In May 2021 MP Douglas Chapman resigned from his role as the party’s treasurer, saying he had not been given enough information to do his job. Joanna Cherry, a vocal internal critic of the party’s leadership, also resigned from her role on the national executive committee (NEC).

Mr Murrell and Ms Sturgeon have faced questions over an interest-free loan he made to the party.

Mr Murrell gave £107,620 to the party to ‘assist with cashflow’ on June 20, 2021, Electoral Commission documents revealed in December.