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Four in court over expense claims Four in court over expense claims
(10 minutes later)
Three MPs and a peer are appearing in court on charges related to their expenses claims.Three MPs and a peer are appearing in court on charges related to their expenses claims.
Jim Devine, Elliot Morley and David Chaytor, all suspended by the Labour Party, said they would plead not guilty of theft by false accounting. Jim Devine, Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Lord Hanningfield all said they would plead not guilty of theft by false accounting.
All three MPs were released on unconditional bail and will appear at Southwark Crown Court on 30 March. All four were released on unconditional bail and will appear at Southwark Crown Court on 30 March.
Suspended Tory peer Lord Hanningfield is also due at Westminster magistrates court to deny the charges against him. The MPs are all suspended by the Labour Party, while Lord Hanningfield has been suspended by the Conservatives.
Police began investigating after details of all MPs' expenses claims were leaked to a national newspaper. Police began investigating after details of all MPs' expenses claims were leaked to the Daily Telegraph.
The four are appearing after being charged with false accounting last month in relation to their expenses claims.
PrivilegePrivilege
The four are appearing after being charged last month with false accounting in relation to their expenses claims.
They face charges under section 17 of the Theft Act 1968 and if found guilty they face a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment.They face charges under section 17 of the Theft Act 1968 and if found guilty they face a maximum sentence of seven years' imprisonment.
At the time charges were brought, the three MPs said they "totally refute any charges that we have committed an offence".At the time charges were brought, the three MPs said they "totally refute any charges that we have committed an offence".
A statement from their lawyers following their court appearance on Thursday said: "The MPs maintain that to prosecute them in criminal court for their Parliamentary activities would infringe the principle of the separation of powers and Parliamentary privilege."A statement from their lawyers following their court appearance on Thursday said: "The MPs maintain that to prosecute them in criminal court for their Parliamentary activities would infringe the principle of the separation of powers and Parliamentary privilege."
Labour MP Harry Cohen is stepping down at the election
Parliamentary privilege traditionally guarantees MPs and peers immunity from slander laws for statements in Parliamentary debate and also relates to access to the Parliamentary buildings.Parliamentary privilege traditionally guarantees MPs and peers immunity from slander laws for statements in Parliamentary debate and also relates to access to the Parliamentary buildings.
Meanwhile the BBC understands Labour MP Harry Cohen is also being investigated over his expenses.
But BBC home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford said no file on the Leyton and Wanstead MP had been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Mr Cohen has already been reprimanded for his second home expenses claims after a separate inquiry by the parliamentary standards commissioner.
Apologised
He is standing down at the general election but has been told he will not get a "resettlement grant" paid to retiring MPs - which in his case would have been worth about £65,000 - after breaching expenses rules.
The Leyton and Wanstead MP had claimed more than £70,000 for a "second home" in his constituency - which is within greater London - while at times renting out his "main home" in Colchester.
Mr Cohen was ordered to apologise to Parliament - he had argued his wife's serious illness had meant they had to spend more time in the constituency.
Police have not named him as one of the "small number of cases" which are still either being considered by a joint police-CPS panel or being investigated.