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Reform UK’s ex-leader in Wales Nathan Gill pleads guilty to bribery charges Reform UK’s ex-leader in Wales Nathan Gill pleads guilty to bribery charges
(32 minutes later)
Gill admits to eight charges while an elected member of the European parliament Gill admits to eight counts of bribery relating to pro-Russia statements made in the European parliament and articles
Nathan Gill, a former leader of Reform UK in Wales, has pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to eight bribery charges while an elected member of the European parliament. The former leader of Reform UK in Wales has pleaded guilty to bribery charges relating to statements in favour of Russia in the European parliament.
More details soon … Nathan Gill, of Anglesey, north Wales, admitted eight counts of bribery on dates between 6 December 2018 and 18 July 2019.
The charges stated that as an elected member of the European parliament for the constituency of Wales in the UK, he “agreed to receive financial advantage, namely money”, which constituted “improper performance” as the holder of an elected office.
It has been alleged that he made statements in the European parliament and in opinion pieces to news outlets, such as 112 Ukraine, which were “supportive of a particular narrative” that would “benefit Russia regarding events in Ukraine”.
He was tasked by the Pro-Kremlin Ukrainian Oleg Voloshyn on at least eight occasions to make specific statements in return for money, the court was told.
Gill, 52, denied one charge of conspiracy to commit bribery during a hearing at the Old Bailey on Friday.
That charge alleged that Gill conspired with Voloshyn and others between 1 January 2018 and 1 February 2020, and that he accepted “quantities of money in cash” which was “improper performance by him of his function or activity as the holder” of a position in the European parliament.
Mark Heywood KC, prosecuting, said the guilty pleas were “satisfactory” because the bribery charges reflected the criminal activities. Gill denied one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and the prosecution said they would not pursue that charge, saying the other charges already represented that agreement.
They emerged after Gill was stopped at Manchester Airport on 13 September 2021 under the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019.
He was first elected as a Ukip member of the European parliament in 2014 and his role ended when the UK left the EU in 2020, at which point he was an MEP for the Brexit party.
Gill led Reform UK’s 2021 Welsh parliament election campaign but is no longer a member of the party.
Reform’s support in Wales is surging and polls suggest that Nigel Farage’s party could be the biggest party at the Senedd elections next year.