Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales, is set to stand trial next year, accused of accepting bribes in exchange for making statements in the European Parliament that would benefit Russia. The charges against the 51-year-old from Llangefni, Anglesey, include eight counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
At a hearing on Friday at the Old Bailey in London, defence attorney Clare Ashcroft revealed that Mr. Gill intends to plead not guilty. A trial date has been scheduled for 29 June 2026.
Mr. Gill, who served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for UKIP and the Brexit Party between 2014 and 2020, is alleged to have conspired with Oleg Voloshyn, a former Ukrainian politician, between 1 January 2018 and 1 February 2020. The court has heard that Mr. Gill was tasked by Voloshyn on at least eight occasions to make specific statements in return for financial compensation.
Voloshyn, a co-defendant in the case, is a former member of the pro-Russian Opposition Platform for Life party and is not believed to be in the UK. The statements allegedly made by Mr. Gill in the European Parliament and in opinion pieces published by outlets such as 112 Ukraine were said to be in support of a narrative benefiting Russia’s position on events in Ukraine.
The court was also informed of an incident on 13 September 2021, when Mr. Gill was stopped at Manchester Airport under anti-terror legislation. His mobile phone was seized, and evidence was found suggesting that he had been in a professional relationship with Voloshyn and had agreed to receive money in exchange for performing specific activities as an MEP.
During the hearing, Mr. Gill appeared in the dock, where he spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth. Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb, who set the trial date, emphasized that preparation for the trial would require time. She released Mr. Gill on conditional bail, stipulating that he should not make contact with Voloshyn or seek international travel documents. Mr. Gill confirmed that he had already surrendered his passport to the authorities following a previous court hearing in February.
Mr. Gill is scheduled to appear in court again on 18 July this year. His political career has seen him serve as a UKIP MEP from 2014, and later as an Assembly Member in the National Assembly of Wales in 2016. He was replaced by Mandy Jones in 2017 and later served as UKIP’s leader in Wales. In 2019, he joined the Brexit Party and led Reform UK’s 2021 Welsh Parliament election campaign. It is unclear when exactly Mr. Gill ceased to be the leader of Reform UK Wales, though the position no longer exists, and Reform UK has confirmed he is no longer a member.
Source; theghanareport
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