Natalie McGarry trial hears former MP cashed cheques which could not be explained

A city councillor has told a jury that Natalie McGarry cashed a number of cheques for a Glasgow SNP branch which he could not explain. 

Alexander Belic, 35, said six cheques came to his attention from when he became treasurer for the Glasgow Regional Association (GRA) from January 2012 until November 2015.

The Glasgow Southside Central representative told a jury that this included paying for a survey on her office and paying back an election deposit.

Ex-MP McGarry, 40, 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.

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 (GRA) of the SNP.

McGarry is alleged to have retained reimbursements intended to settle expenses which she was not entitled to.

The charge goes on to say McGarry used cheques and money from donations to the organisation to deposit money to her own accounts.

McGarry denies the charges.

It was stated in agreed evidence that McGarry became convenor of the GRA in September 2011.

McGarry filled in as the role of treasurer in September 2011 after the resignation the previous person in the role.

Belic claimed he was appointed treasurer in January 2012 by the GRA members.

He said that he was not initially handed the GRA chequebook by McGarry.

Prosecutor Alistair Mitchell said: "You would be able to check the balance but not the chequebooks?"

Belic replied:  "No."

"Did you speak to Miss McGarry about that?" Mitchell asked.

Belic said: "It was raised on numerous occasions. There would always be a problem with this or a problem with that."

Belic said he was not handed the chequebooks until November 2015 when McGarry resigned her membership from the SNP.

He added that he was not given banking material including statements until the following month. 

Mitchell asked: “How was the process in getting said material?”

Belic replied: “It was difficult, it was fair to say that Natalie was under a great deal of harassment from the press.”

Belic claimed there were nine missing bank statements which he was able to obtain. 

He claimed he had a meeting at a Bank of Scotland where further information was provided to him about the two GRA-owned bank accounts.

Mitchell: “Interest was drawn to a small number of cheques?”

Belic replied: “Oh, yes.”

The witness said that six cheques stood out to him.

Mitchell displayed several cheques totalling £4,329 on the screen to the jurors.

One appeared to show £2,000 made out to “Natalie McGarry” in April 2014 with the corresponding stub which said “Shettleston” on it totalling £250.

The witness claimed that he was told by McGarry by email that this was for media training accompanied with an invoice totalling £2,310.

Belic said this was “unusual” as there was no name of the company on the invoice and that the corresponding VAT number did not match a media company.

He said: “I have no record of what it was for and the stub was for £250 to someone who has no record of receiving it.”

Two cheques of £167.01 were said to have been used to pay for a storage unit for bank information.

Mitchell asked: “Were you shown vouching for that storage unit?”

Belic replied: “No.”

A £600 cheque made out to a property consulting firm was also shown to the jury.

It was agreed evidence that the firm had done a survey on McGarry’s Shettleston constituency office.

It was agreed McGarry had made a successful claim of £800 to the Parliamentary Standards Authority for the survey. 

Belic said: “If the claim was made and paid it first then the £600 is completely inappropriate or we paid the £600 and it went nowhere.”

A £500 cash payment to SNP Shettleston from July 2015 was shown to the jury.

The witness believed this was in relation to a ballot return deposit following the General Election.

He said SNP Shettleston would have paid Glasgow City Council £500 which would have been refunded personally to McGarry after she was elected. 

The witness believed that £500 should not have come from the GRA bank account to pay SNP Shettleston back.

Belic said: “It appears the £500 came from our account and Natalie would be £500 up on the whole affair.”

A final cheque to the Raddison Blu Hotel for £895 dated April 2014 was shown.

The event held was an independence debate between the Yes and No sides.

Belic said that he was “not aware” that the GRA contributed but it was not unusual. 

The witness claimed he was told that a donation button on the GRA website went to McGarry’s PayPal account before being transferred to her personal bank account. 

Mitchell said: “It's agreed that between 28 and 29 June 2015, £332 was transferred from the PayPal to Natalie McGarry at SNP to another PayPal account to a Clydesdale Bank account which was the personal account of Natalie McGarry.”

Belic replied: “Yes.”

Mitchell asked: “Was there any reason why money from the donations buttons would make its way to her bank account?”

Belic responded: “No...there is no reason why we couldn’t receive the money ourselves and go through a pass the parcel situation.”

Allan Macleod, defending, said: “Did you see her present herself as someone who was spinning a lot of plates?”

Belic said: “I think I said that before when getting cheques she would say this is happening that is happening - she presented herself as someone who was busy.”

The trial continues before Sheriff Tom Hughes.