Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell has been found guilty of 25 fraud related charges – but not guilty of one.

The District Court spent more than three months hearing 26 fraud related charges levelled at Mr Bell.

The jury retired to consider its verdict late on Tuesday afternoon, before requesting to stay late this evening (Thursday), indicating a decision was imminent.

They returned after dinner to deliver their verdict.

Mr Bell, who was accused of misappropriating a significant amount of public funds and had repeatedly stated his innocence, declined to comment when leaving court this evening.

He pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of alleged theft and six counts of alleged dishonestly dealing with documents.

The jury found him guilty of all of the theft counts and on five counts of dishonestly dealing with documents, while finding him not guilty of one charge of dishonest dealing with documents.

The alleged offences relate to his work for an independent learning centre in the Limestone Coast and prior to him being elected as a Liberal MP in 2014.

Mr Bell was charged with the alleged offences in 2017 after an investigation by South Australia’s Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.

The prosecution had alleged Mr Bell had used his position to steal more than $400,000 from not for profit educational organisations between 2009 and 2013.

The 50-year-old had continued with his usual parliamentary and other duties over the past seven years and was re-elected as an Independent MP in 2018 and 2022.

The trial was expected to last for four months and so a panel of 15 jurors was selected rather than the usual 12.

The Adelaide jury today entered its third day of deliberations in the trial, which started in June, with Judge Rauf Soulio presiding. Mr Bell will face court at a later date for sentencing. It is not yet known whether he will appeal the decision.

• This is a developing story, with more to come.