Former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie told financial watchdogs he was late recording a controversial £107,000 loan to the party because he couldn’t use the computer.
The MSP said he could not work the Electoral Commission’s system for registering political party resources when trying to record the loan from ex-chief executive Peter Murrell.
He also had difficulties registering the repayments made by the party to Murrell and some donations in 2022.
Electoral Commission documents show Beattie had attempted to register some transactions in July 2022 but he had “failed to press the submit button”.
Beattie then told the regulator: “I’m afraid I still am unable to make this online system work.”
He was arrested as part of Operation Branchform, 13 days after Murrell. Both were released without charge.
Scottish Tory chairman Craig Hoy said: “The public will find it hard to believe that the SNP’s Treasurer – who also worked as an international banker – suddenly found it hard to operate a computer system.”
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