He has pleaded not guilty

Nathan Sparling, the former HIV Scotland chief executive, is to stand trial next year for alleged fraud.

Police Scotland launched an investigation in 2021 after receiving a complaint.

The charge relates to Sparling’s tenure at HIV Scotland which announced its closure earlier this year, having supported people with the condition for 30 years.

His case was called at Edinburgh Sheriff Court last week and he has pleaded not guilty to a charge of embezzlement.

Sparling, from Glasgow, who previously worked as an aide to SNP MSP Angus Robertson when he was the party’s Westminster leader, took the CEO post in 2018 but left two years later before the fraud allegations were alleged.

HIV Scotland was set up as the Scottish Voluntary HIV and AIDS Forum in September 1994 established by leading figures in the third and HIV sectors as a response to the Scottish Office AIDS Task Force call for improved provision and coordination of services.

Roy Kilpatrick was the founding CEO until 2011 before George Valiotis became chief executive until Sparling took over.

Alastair Hudson took on interim CEO after Sparling resigned, and announced the charity's closure in March.

In a statement announcing its closure, the charity said: “HIV Scotland has been operating within a complex and challenging environment. This has included significant changes in governance, with the recruitment of a new chair and board and an entirely new management and staff team within the last two years.

“While this brought some stability to the charity, there have been some recent changes within the organisation’s governance which have caused concern.

“This has led to the chair and a significant number of the board resigning from their positions."

The trial is set for May 2024.