Political reporter, BBC Wales Information
BBC Wales Information
Getty PhotographsThe previous chief of Reform UK in Wales will stand trial subsequent yr, accused of accepting bribes to make statements within the Ecu Parliament that would get advantages Russia.
Nathan Gill, 51, from Llangefni on Anglesey, is charged with 8 counts of bribery and one depend of conspiracy to devote bribery.
At a listening to within the Previous Bailey in London on Friday, defence barrister Clare Ashcroft indicated that the previous Wales MEP supposed to go into now not responsible pleas.
A tribulation date of 29 June 2026 was once set.
A courtroom in the past heard Mr Gill, who was once a UKIP and later a Brexit Birthday celebration MEP between 2014 and 2020, was once imagined to have conspired with former Ukrainian flesh presser Oleg Voloshyn between 1 January 2018 and 1 February 2020.
Mr Gill stood within the dock and spoke to substantiate his title and date of start.
He was once imagined to had been tasked through Mr Voloshyn on no less than 8 events to make explicit statements in go back for cash.
Mr Voloshyn, a co-defendant within the case, is a former flesh presser from the pro-Russian Opposition Platform for Lifestyles birthday celebration. He isn’t considered in the United Kingdom.
The sooner courtroom listening to heard the statements, made within the Ecu Parliament and in opinion items to information shops corresponding to 112 Ukraine, have been “supportive of a selected narrative” which might “receive advantages Russia referring to occasions in Ukraine”.
Mr Gill was once stopped at Manchester Airport on 13 September 2021 beneath anti-terror law, the courtroom was once instructed in February.
It was once stated then that his cell phone was once seized and proof was once discovered that police say steered he was once in a qualified dating with Mr Voloshyn and had agreed to “obtain or settle for monies in go back for him acting actions as an MEP”.
Surroundings a tribulation date on the listening to on Friday, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb instructed Mr Gill: “Your trial isn’t going to occur straight away.
“There is a stage of preparation that should happen.”
The pass judgement on launched Mr Gill on conditional bail and stated he will have to now not make touch with Mr Voloshyn and now not download world trip paperwork.
Mr Gill showed he passed his passport to police after the former listening to in February.
He’s set to seem in courtroom subsequent at the 18 July this yr.
Mr Gill was once first elected as a UKIP MEP in 2014 and joined the Nationwide Meeting of Wales, because it was once then known as, in 2016.
He was once an Meeting Member for simply over a yr, earlier than he was once changed through Mandy Jones in December 2017.
He served as UKIP’s chief for Wales and was once in brief an unbiased earlier than becoming a member of Reform’s predecessor organisation, the Brexit Birthday celebration, in 2019.
The north Wales flesh presser led Reform’s 2021 Welsh Parliament election marketing campaign.
It isn’t transparent exactly when Mr Gill ceased being chief of Reform UK Wales, however the activity has now not existed for a while.
Reform has stated he’s now not a member.
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