Police looking into claims of missing £1.5m from 2014 Yes campaign
Former SNP branch secretary David Henry is to meet with detectives this week with evidence alleging “anomalies” in the organisation’s accounts.
Police are looking into claims that £1.5 million went missing from the 2014 Yes campaign, according to reports.
Former SNP branch secretary David Henry is to meet with detectives this week with evidence alleging “anomalies” in the organisation’s accounts, the Sunday Mail has reported.
The firm, which ran the Yes Scotland referendum campaign, has £1,524,998 in income which faces claims has been unaccounted for.
The campaign was separate from the SNP but a party official signed off on the books.
Mr Henry told the Sunday Mail: “I visited Edinburgh’s Gayfield Square Police Station on Thursday to make a complaint of fraud and received an incident number.
“I will meet again with officers next week to give a full statement and provide them with documentary evidence related to Yes Scotland Limited’s accounts and other information that I have uncovered.”
Police Scotland said: “We have received a complaint and inquiries are ongoing.”
It comes less than a fortnight after former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell - who is also Nicola Sturgeon’s estranged husband - was sentenced to five years in prison for embezzling £400,000 from the party.
SNP First Minister John Swinney has so far rejected calls for an independent or parliamentary inquiry into the party’s finances.
Mr Henry’s complaint focuses on a note from the Yes Scotland accounts in 2014, which were publish in August 2015.
It stated: “Directors have reviewed the accounting treatment of donations received and these are now recognised as income when received.
“This has resulted in deferred income as at April 30, 2013 being reduced from £878,978 to £nil and has increased other income by £878,978 from £1,524,998 to £2,403,976.”
Mr Henry alleges this £1.5million is unaccounted for, with no “other income” declared again in following accounts.
He told the Sunday Mail: “The numbers don’t match up anywhere and there are a host of other anomalies identified in my evidence and major corrections appeared in the 2015 accounts. Nothing adds up. The Yes campaign took in millions in donations but from 2016 dormant accounts have been submitted with zero balances; the money is just gone.
“Given what we now know about Peter Murrell’s crimes, there are strong reasons to be suspicious of the finances of any organisation linked to the SNP.
“Police Scotland must open a new investigation and fully audit Yes Scotland’s books to find out what happened to the missing £1.5million.”
An SNP spokesperson said: “The criminal actions of Peter Murrell were uncovered by a complex and extensive police investigation which found the SNP was the victim of embezzlement.”
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