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| Nigel Farage 'stunned' ex-Wales Reform leader Nathan Gill took bribes | Nigel Farage 'stunned' ex-Wales Reform leader Nathan Gill took bribes |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said he was "stunned" when he found out his party's former leader in Wales took bribes to make statements in favour of Russia while a Member of the European Parliament. | |
| Last month, Nathan Gill, pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery between 6 December 2018 and 18 July 2019. | Last month, Nathan Gill, pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery between 6 December 2018 and 18 July 2019. |
| Asked, by BBC Wales, if he questioned Gill over the statements, Farage said: "I didn't know anything about it, all I knew was that he'd been to Ukraine." | Asked, by BBC Wales, if he questioned Gill over the statements, Farage said: "I didn't know anything about it, all I knew was that he'd been to Ukraine." |
| "I told him not to go, he defied me and went, I was completely unaware of any statements that he made." Gill, who is no longer a Reform member, also used to be a politician in Cardiff Bay. | "I told him not to go, he defied me and went, I was completely unaware of any statements that he made." Gill, who is no longer a Reform member, also used to be a politician in Cardiff Bay. |
| He was one of seven UKIP politicians elected to the Senedd in 2016 when the party was led by Farage. | He was one of seven UKIP politicians elected to the Senedd in 2016 when the party was led by Farage. |
| Gill took money from Oleg Voloshyn, once described by the US government as a "pawn" of Russian secret services, and made pro-Russian speeches in the European Parliament, statements to a TV channel and arranged an event with a politician close to Moscow. | Gill took money from Oleg Voloshyn, once described by the US government as a "pawn" of Russian secret services, and made pro-Russian speeches in the European Parliament, statements to a TV channel and arranged an event with a politician close to Moscow. |
| Mr Voloshyn is a former member of the Ukrainian parliament for the pro-Russian Opposition Platform for Life party. | Mr Voloshyn is a former member of the Ukrainian parliament for the pro-Russian Opposition Platform for Life party. |
| Gill's activities emerged in WhatsApp messages on his phone after he was stopped at Manchester Airport on September 13 2021 under counter-terrorism laws. | Gill's activities emerged in WhatsApp messages on his phone after he was stopped at Manchester Airport on September 13 2021 under counter-terrorism laws. |
| On a campaign visit, on Friday, for the upcoming Caerphilly Senedd by-election, Farage responded publicly for the first time to the Gill bribery case. | On a campaign visit, on Friday, for the upcoming Caerphilly Senedd by-election, Farage responded publicly for the first time to the Gill bribery case. |
| "I'd known this person for a very long time, I knew him in the European Parliament in the UKIP days to be a God-fearing Christian, somebody that you would think was the least corruptible person that you would know," he said. | |
| Asked if he knew about Gill making pro-Russian statements, Farage said: "I didn't know anything about it." | Asked if he knew about Gill making pro-Russian statements, Farage said: "I didn't know anything about it." |
| "All I knew was that he'd been to Ukraine. He said 'we're going on a visit to Ukraine, do you want to come?' | "All I knew was that he'd been to Ukraine. He said 'we're going on a visit to Ukraine, do you want to come?' |
| "I said 'you're off your rocker, this is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, you must be mad'. And I told him not to go. | "I said 'you're off your rocker, this is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, you must be mad'. And I told him not to go. |
| "He defied me and went. I was completely unaware of any statements that he made." | "He defied me and went. I was completely unaware of any statements that he made." |
| Gill served as a UKIP, and later Brexit Party, MEP between 2014 and 2020 and was leader of UKIP Wales between 2014 and 2016. | Gill served as a UKIP, and later Brexit Party, MEP between 2014 and 2020 and was leader of UKIP Wales between 2014 and 2016. |
| He was leader of Reform UK Wales between March and May 2021, leading the party's Senedd/Welsh Parliament election campaign but is no longer in the party. | He was leader of Reform UK Wales between March and May 2021, leading the party's Senedd/Welsh Parliament election campaign but is no longer in the party. |
| Gill will be sentenced in November. His defence barrister has said he expects to be jailed. | Gill will be sentenced in November. His defence barrister has said he expects to be jailed. |
| Nigel Farage campaigned alongside Nathan Gill (in red and white striped tie) in Caerphilly in 2019 for the European elections | Nigel Farage campaigned alongside Nathan Gill (in red and white striped tie) in Caerphilly in 2019 for the European elections |
| The Caerphilly Senedd by-election, prompted by the sudden death of Labour Senedd member Hefin David in August, takes place on 23 October. | The Caerphilly Senedd by-election, prompted by the sudden death of Labour Senedd member Hefin David in August, takes place on 23 October. |
| Eight candidates are standing: | Eight candidates are standing: |
| Liberal Democrats: Steve Aicheler | Liberal Democrats: Steve Aicheler |
| Gwlad: Anthony Cook | Gwlad: Anthony Cook |
| Greens: Gareth Hughes | Greens: Gareth Hughes |
| Conservatives: Gareth Potter | Conservatives: Gareth Potter |
| Reform: Llyr Powell | Reform: Llyr Powell |
| UKIP: Roger Quilliam | UKIP: Roger Quilliam |
| Labour: Richard Tunnicliffe | Labour: Richard Tunnicliffe |
| Plaid Cymru: Lindsay Whittle | Plaid Cymru: Lindsay Whittle |
| You can find out more about the candidates here. | You can find out more about the candidates here. |