COPS have issued a fresh plea for information amid bombshell claims the SNP failed to declare thousands of pounds of donations from a Scots businessman.
Police launched a probe into the Nats in July 2021 following a series of complaints about how around £600,000 of donations for an independence campaign raised between 2017 and 2019 were spent.
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Questions were raised when accounts showed the SNP had just under £97,000 in the bank at the end of 2019, and total net assets of about £272,000.
Now officers have issued a plea for information after receiving a complaint alleging Nats chiefs accepted envelopes stuffed with cash as part of a suspected “cash for seats” operation, reports the Mail on Sunday.
It’s claimed the allegations were backed up by another complaint originally sent to Greater Manchester Police and passed to the force in Scotland.
It read: “I believe these were actually cash gifts as part of a cash for seats operation to place people who made substantial donations to them into seats to gain elected office.”
The letter alleges the businessman, who is said to be related to an MP, was seen boasting about the donations, which are understood to be up to £50,000.
An SNP spokesperson said: “Police Scotland stated last week it had assessed the complaint and no further action is being taken.
“When any investigation finishes, it is standard for police to consider any new information. This is not exceptional in any way.”
Nicola Sturgeon, her husband and ex-SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, as well as MSP Colin Beattie – the long-term SNP treasurer – were all arrested this year as part of the long-running probe.
All three were quizzed by cops before being released without charge.
Police Scotland’s ongoing Operation Branchform was sparked by a complaint made in March 2021 about money raised in an online crowdfunding campaign for a referendum campaign, amid claims it had not been spent on intended purposes.
Cops also confiscated a £110,000 motorhome which was discovered at Mr Murrell’s mum’s house following his arrest.
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