Former SA Liberal leader David Speirs to face court charged with ...

South Australia's former Liberal leader has been charged with drug offences and will face court, police have confirmed.

In a statement, SA Police said David Speirs was arrested at Berri on September 26 before police searched his home.

He has been charged with two counts of supplying a controlled substance in early August, police said.

The release of the police statement was in response to a post on social media earlier on Saturday, in which Mr Speirs — who today announced his intentions to step down from parliament — confirmed he had been arrested and his home raided in the wake of News Corp's publication of a video last month.

The member for Black said he would fight to clear his name of any allegations.

"Since allegations of illicit substance use at my home became public, my home has been raided by armed police, and I was arrested and I was questioned," Mr Speirs said in a video statement on Facebook.

Police have since confirmed Mr Speirs will face court.

"As a result of the public statement made on social media by MP David Speirs in which he reveals he had been arrested, police can confirm that on September 26, 2024, Mr Speirs was arrested at Berri and charged with two counts of supplying a controlled substance between August 2 and 3 and on August 9," a police spokesperson said.

"Mr Speirs was given police bail and will appear in court at a later date."

In an earlier statement, police said they searched a property on Strickland Road at Kingston Park on September 26 "as part of an ongoing investigation".

The member for Black said he intends to resign from parliament later this month, adding his mental health has been "in significant decline".

"I've not been the best version of myself. I've not been the best version of David Speirs, and I have spent time with people who did not bring out the best in me, to be quite honest," Mr Speirs said.

"I believe there's someone pretty sinister behind this, and while I am personally devastated by what has happened, and I will fight to clear my name of any allegations."

Mr Speirs says he intends to quit parliament in the next sitting week. (Facebook)

In his video, he said he did not believe he could adequately serve his community "while dealing with this matter, protecting my mental health, and supporting my family and friends".

"For me it's time to move on, I want to rebuild myself over the coming months and into the future," Mr Speirs said.

"As such, I do intend to step down formally from parliament in the next sitting week.

"I've informed the state Liberal leader and the party, and I'm going to suspend my membership while I seek to resolve this matter.

"But I certainly remain committed to, and true to, Liberal values and the cause of the Liberal Party, both at state and federal levels."

Mr Speirs has pleaded for privacy after he faced "immense media intrusion" in his life since leaving the leadership role in the party.

"It has been really, really difficult, and it has left me and family and friends fearful to even go to our own homes," he said.

"That has compounded my mental health challenges hugely, and I hope, I ask that this ends."

Mr Speirs has been on medical leave from parliament since the video emerged last month.

SA Liberal leader Vincent Tarzia said he met with the state executive of the party on Saturday, which has ratified the decision to suspend Mr Speirs's membership.

Vincent Tarzia says the Liberal party will seek a candidate for the seat of Black. (ABC News: Justin Hewitson)

"To see someone's career effectively come to an end, this is obviously quite devastating and quite challenging," Mr Tarzia said.

"But saying that, David has made this decision, we respect that decision. 

"I know he hasn't made that decision lightly and now that David has announced that he will be resigned as the member for Black he'll do that in the next sitting week."

Mr Tarzia said the party is "focused" on pre-selecting "the best candidate" for the south-western Adelaide seat of Black before nominations close on Tuesday. 

"We'll make sure that we do everything possible to make sure that seat stays with the Liberal party," Mr Tarzia said.

Mr Tarzia said Mr Speirs has gone through "a very challenging recent set of circumstances" but did not elaborate more as the matter was before the courts.

In relation to Mr Speirs's comment about "someone pretty sinister behind this", Mr Tarzia said he did not believe Mr Speirs was referring to someone in the Liberal party.

"I'm not sure if he's talking about someone in the government or whether he's talking about someone in his friendship group, I think he made it clear it wasn't someone in the Liberal party so I don't think it's someone in the Liberal party," Mr Tarzia said.