With fewer than 100 days until the Holyrood election, Liberal Democrats are struggling to field candidates in the north-east.
Although three of seven possible Lib Dem candidates are confirmed, three constituencies remain without a candidate.
A fourth is in doubt, after Angus North and Mearns candidate Sanjay Samani spent the weekend in the cells after an allegation of assault.
Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said no decision had yet been made on how to handle the matter.
He said: “There were no charges brought. The police are taking almost every case to the courts so that is very rare.
“This is a personal tragedy in his life and we need to make sure we deal with it sensitively and appropriately.”
Mr Rennie did insist he would have candidates for all north-east seats within weeks.
Conservative MSP Alex Johnstone said the Lib Dems appeared to be disappearing from the north-east.
He said: “With no clear direction they have very much become a party who are irrelevant.
“Perhaps it is because of their lack of clarity on saying where they stand on the second referendum question.
“It is clear the Lib Dems are letting down Aberdeen and letting down their own party at this year’s Holyrood elections.”
Confirming Mr Samani’s release from custody, a Crown Office spokesman said: “The procurator fiscal has received a report concerning a 42-year-old man in relation to an alleged incident in Alyth on 22 January 2016.
“After full and careful consideration he was liberated from custody and did not appear in court.”