Nathan Gill, former member of the European Parliament and ex-leader of Reform UK in Wales, has pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery for promoting a pro-Russian stance in the European Parliament, including in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Source: Reuters

Details: The 52-year-old Gill admitted receiving bribes between December 2018 and July 2019 in exchange for votes and statements in the European Parliament “in support of pro-Russian parties” in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Prosecutor Mark Heywood said key evidence in the case had consisted of WhatsApp messages recovered from Gill’s phone when he was arrested by police in 2021. The correspondence confirmed that the politician had agreed to accept money for specific actions, including submitting questions to the Parliament, establishing contacts with senior officials, organising events and making public statements with the required messaging.

Meanwhile, Gill denied charges of conspiracy to commit bribery with former Ukrainian politician Oleh Voloshyn.

Nathan Gill began his political career in the UK Independence Party (UKIP), from which he was elected to the European Parliament in 2014. He led the party’s branch in Wales from 2016. He left UKIP in 2018 and joined the Brexit Party the following year, which was later renamed Reform UK. Gill remained a member of the European Parliament until the United Kingdom left the European Union in January 2020.

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