Natalie McGarry has denied the charges against her.
04 April 2022
The trial of a former SNP MP accused of embezzling more than £25,000 from two pro-independence groups is set to begin on Monday.
Natalie McGarry has previously entered not guilty pleas to the charges.
The 40-year-old is accused of misappropriating £21,000 for her own use in her role as treasurer of the Women for Independence group between April 26 2013 and November 30 2015.
It is alleged she transferred funds raised through events on behalf of the group into her own bank account.
She is also accused of embezzling £4,661.02 for her own use from the Glasgow Regional Association of the SNP between April 9 2014 and August 10 2015.
The indictment also alleges she used cheques drawn on bank accounts held in the association’s name to deposit money in her personal bank accounts and transferred funds donated to the association through its website into her own accounts.
McGarry was elected as an SNP member in 2015 but resigned the party whip after the emergence of fraud allegations – which she denied.
She continued in Parliament as an independent MP representing Glasgow East but did not seek re-election in 2017.
