Embezzlement charges against former Perth and Kinross Council leader dropped

Embezzlement charges against the former leader of Perth and Kinross Council have been dropped.

Grant Laing quit his position in September last year, citing personal reasons.

The move came after he was charged with embezzlement, which was alleged to have occurred between 2017 and 2025 in the Perth area.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has now confirmed that it has decided there should be no further proceedings following a review of evidence.

A spokesperson said: “The Procurator Fiscal received a report relating to a 63-year-old man and incidents said to have occurred between January 2017 and March 2025.

“After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case, including the available admissible evidence, the Procurator Fiscal decided that there should be no proceedings taken at this time.

“The Crown reserves the right to proceed in the future should further evidence become available.”

Councillor Laing became council leader in 2022. He currently sits as an Independent.

He said: “Clearly this is a great relief for those closest to me, my family and myself.

“This has been a challenging few months, so it is good to have this matter behind me.

“As someone fortunate to have lived all my life in Perth and Kinross and to have family, many colleagues, friends and acquaintances throughout the area, this has been especially difficult.

“Nevertheless, I completely respect that the police and the Procurator Fiscal Service must take any allegations seriously and investigate fully.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in this investigation for their professionalism throughout.

“I am pleased that I can now move with my life and again channel my energies into that which is important to me and productive to my community.

“After 14 years of doing my best to serve the people of Strathtay, I am fully aware of the privilege it is to be able to serve my community and will continue to do so.

“I look forward to continuing to work with fellow elected members and others to further the aspirations of Perth and Kinross residents.

“I will also be happy to support council leader Eric Drysdale in any way I can.

“Finally, I wish to sincerely thank the many people who have contacted me with messages of support and kind actions over this period.

“These acts gave me great strength during a difficult time and are greatly appreciated.”