POLICE Scotland and the Crown Office were reportedly at "loggerheads" over how to describe the inquiry into donations made to the SNP for indyref2.
Officers had settled on the words "formal investigation" to describe their activities following a number of complaints by people who had given money to the party for a second independence referendum fighting fund.
But it has been reported today that the Crown Office wanted a form of words to suggest it was more of "fact-finding mission".
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A source told the Sunday Times: “Police told the Crown days beforehand. The Crown wanted a change of wording. They wanted a form of words that made it more of a fact-finding mission but the police had already had that and it was because documentation had not been handed over that they wanted to escalate it to an investigation.
“Police were stunned that the Crown was putting them in that position. They were unhappy because if it was about anyone else in this position they would call it an investigation.”
The source added that warrants were expected to obtain any material the party has not handed over.
Police Scotland said its enquiries are continuing.The Crown office said: "It would be inappropriate for us to comment on an ongoing police investigation.
"We have not received a report and have only provided advice."
On the issue of whether Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain would recuse herself from the issue, given her appointment was on the recommendation of the SNP government, it added: “As is customary in cases involving politicians, any resulting case reported to us will be handled by the procurator fiscal and independent Crown counsel without the involvement of the law officers.”
Police officers from the economic crime and financial investigation unit of the specialist crime division based at the Scottish crime campus at Gartcosh are running the investigation.
They have already been in contact with current and previous SNP national executive members and party HQ seeking information, documents, minutes and correspondence relating to the financial appeal.
Since May’s elections there have been tensions within the SNP over their referendum strategy, including the resignation of independence taskforce chief Marco Biagi after only six months in post. On his departure he said it was “the worst job” he had ever had.
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