Police Interview Scottish Conservative Leader Over Alleged Referendum Vote Crime - Reports

© AP Photo/ Lefteris Pitarakis

Police in Scotland have questioned the leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, Ruth Davidson on Friday, over alleged criminal breaches of electoral law that purportedly took place during the Scottish independence referendum.
Davidson was interviewed as a witness rather than a suspect, BBC reported on Friday citing unnamed party sources.

It has been claimed that anti-Scottish independence supporters communicated the results of postal votes during "sample openings" prior to the referendum that was held September 18. It is a criminal offense to reveal any information witnessed by political agents during such sample openings which are conducted to verify signatures and date of birth.

Shortly after polling stations closed across Scotland Davidson appeared to reveal the broad results from the postal vote, telling the BBC, "There are people in the room that have been sampling those [postal] ballot boxes as they have been opened and they have been taking tallies and the reports have been very positive for us."

Although agents are allowed to attend the sample openings ahead of the main vote, they are not permitted to communicate any information they see. Those convicted face up to a year imprisonment.
Scottish voters went to the polls on September 18 but rejected independence by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent.