THE chief executive of a council-funded sporting body has left his role after it emerged the organisation was being investigated by Scotland's charity regulator.
Established in 2010, Sport Aberdeen runs more than 30 indoor and outdoor sports venues in the city on behalf of the local authority.
Last week, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) announced that an inquiry had been opened into the leisure operator after it was made aware of “concerns”.
Sport Aberdeen's chief executive, Keith Heslop, was replaced by an interim, with the organisation now reportedly saying that he will not be returning to the role.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Sport Aberdeen said: “We can confirm that Keith Heslop is no longer employed by Sport Aberdeen as of 19 May.
“The current interim staffing arrangements will remain in place for the time being.
“We will not be making any further comment and will not discuss staff matters.”
The interim chief executive is Graeme Dale.
Aberdeen City Council appointed two senior officials, Gale Beattie and Martin Murchie, to Sport Aberdeen’s board after four board members walked out in April following Heslop’s suspension, according to the Press and Journal.
In March of this year, the local authority announced Sport Aberdeen would receive £3.8 million of investment, along with a further £600,000 for its sporting village as part of its 2026/27 budget.
A spokesperson for OSCR said at the time when the inquiry into the organisation was announced: “Following assessment of concerns received about Sport Aberdeen, we have opened an inquiry into the charity.
“In line with our published policies, we are unable to provide further comment at this time.”
Aberdeen City Council declined to comment.
