Ex-MEP took bribes to support Russia - Reuters
Former European Parliament deputy worked in Russia's interests (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
A former British Member of the European Parliament has pleaded guilty to accepting bribes for acting in the interests of Russia, reports Reuters.
Nathan Gill, former leader of the Reform UK party in Wales, appeared at London’s Old Bailey court and admitted guilt on eight counts of bribery, relating to payments made between December 2018 and July 2019.
According to investigators, he agreed to receive money that constituted improper performance… as a holder of an elected office.
Meanwhile, 52-year-old Gill denied a separate charge of conspiring with former Ukrainian politician Oleh Voloshyn to commit bribery.
Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb described the case as serious and told Gill that he had admitted to receiving money in exchange for submitting questions and making speeches in the European Parliament in support of pro-Russian parties amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
According to prosecutor Mark Heywood, the bribery charges are based on WhatsApp messages seized from Gill’s phone when it was confiscated by police in 2021.
Heywood noted that the messages showed Gill agreeing to receive money in return for certain activities, including submitting parliamentary questions, contacting senior officials, organizing events, and making speeches.
Gill was released on bail ahead of sentencing in November. However, Judge Cheema-Grubb warned him that he could face a substantial prison term.
Who is Nathan Gill
Nathan Gill became a Member of the European Parliament for the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in 2014 and led its branch in Wales from 2016.
In 2018, he left UKIP and in 2019 joined the Brexit Party, which later evolved into Reform UK.
Gill remained an MEP until the UK left the EU in 2020.
Russian provocations
In recent days, a Russian ship has been spotted in waters near the UK, conducting reconnaissance on Europe’s underwater cables.
There are suspicions that the aggressor may be planning sabotage in the British Isles region, which could disrupt internet and military communications in European countries.
Additionally, in the Netherlands, teenagers were gathering information on behalf of a pro-Russian hacker.
