McGarry colleagues hoped missing money was 'admin issue', court hears

A former politician said she hoped Natalie McGarry was just disorganised when it came to her handling of a Scottish independence organisation’s finances.

40 year-old Natalie McGarry, who represented Glasgow East for the SNP, allegedly stole more than 25,000 from two organisations advocating for Scottish independence between April 2013 and August 2015.

McGarry allegedly embezzled £21,000 while Treasurer for Women for Independence (WFI) between April 26, 2013 and November 30, 2015.

Former Scottish Socialist Party MSP and WFI founder Carolyn Leckie, 57, claimed she was “rooting” for McGarry to explain an initial £10,000 financial gap.

McGarry, of the city’s Clarkston, denies the charge at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

Allan Macleod, defending, suggested that an ex-employee was paid wages in January 2015 after she had left WFI.

Mr Macleod: "Would it cause you concern money being paid out by WFI by mistake?"

Miss Leckie: “That was only on my conscience when there was concerns about Natalie not providing information and Jeane Freeman started asking questions.”

Mr Macleod: "You would have become aware of issues in May 2015?"

Miss Leckie: “I think there was an issue to worry about during the general election campaign but even at that point I thought it would be something that would be sorted out. I thought it was an organisation or admin issue.

“It was only after Jeane Freeman came to visit me before I went to London with Natalie that money not being accounted for was raised.

“The issues about the information being missing was before I went to London - not the £10,000 gap.”

The advocate recalled that Miss Leckie had told jurors that £6,436 was paid to WFI from McGarry.

Mr Macleod stated that Miss Leckie claimed to have been told by McGarry that this was the balance of a WFI PayPal account which was closed down.

Mr Macleod: "I suggest that the discussion was not about what was left in the PayPal but the figure that she had come to - the amount she thought she could not vouch for?"

Miss Leckie: “That’s not my memory and if that’s the case it would have been in my email.”

Mr Macleod: "I suggest that it is wrong."

Miss Leckie: "That's the day after it so my memory would be clearer.

"I was rooting for Natalie to tell me what the gap was and where the money had gone .

"I wanted her to be disorganised and overwhelmed, I wanted that to be the truth."

An email where McGarry is shown to have offered to pay the outstanding balance was shown to the court.

Miss Leckie said: “There was a point that if this was about disorganisation, if it was a muddle and not a fiddle it would be appropriate for her to pay it back but increasing concerns were ongoing.

"This was due to Elizabeth Young's work and concerns about Natalie that there was something more sinister than that - we were not in a position to establish that.

"We didn't want to be in a position of covering up criminality - it was a matter for the police.

"If Natalie can explain even now and re-assures us there was no criminality - it’s job for the police, it’s a job for the Crown for bringing us here, it wasn’t our job.”

Miss Leckie claimed there was a “devastating” mood at a WFI meeting in November 2015 where the matter was discussed.

A second charge states McGarry took £4,661 between April 9, 2014 and August 10, 2015 when she was Treasurer, Secretary and Convenor of Glasgow Regional Association of the SNP.

The trial continues before sheriff Tom Hughes.