File photo: Scottish National Party (SNP) Humza Yousaf
London: Scotland's new first minister Humza Yousaf on Tuesday defended his Scottish National Party (SNP) after a second member was arrested as part of a funding probe.
Scottish police said Tuesday that they had arrested a 71-year-old man as part of the ongoing investigation into the SNP's finances, later named as its treasurer Colin Beattie.
Former party chief executive Peter Murrell, the husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, was arrested earlier this month before being released without charge pending further investigation.
Murrell has long faced questions over the alleged diversion of £600,000 ($750,000) in SNP donations that were meant to support its drive for Scottish independence.
He also failed to declare a personal loan to the SNP of more than £100,000, which could breach laws on political funding transparency.
Asked by reporters on Tuesday if he could "guarantee that the party isn't operating in a criminal way", Sturgeon's successor Yousaf replied: "I certainly don't believe it is at all, no.
"I've said already that people are innocent until proven guilty," he stressed, adding he was "surprised" by Beattie's arrest.
"One of my colleagues has been arrested. It's a very serious matter, indeed," added Yousaf, who only became SNP leader and first minister last month.
