Former MEP pleads guilty to taking bribes for supporting Russia

Nathan Gill, a former member of the European Parliament and former 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: Gill, 52, admitted receiving bribes between December 2018 and July 2019 in exchange for voting and making statements in the European Parliament "in support of pro-Russian parties" in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine.

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

Gill denied one charge of conspiracy to commit bribery with former Ukrainian politician Oleh Voloshyn.

Nathan Gill began his political career in the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and was elected to the European Parliament in 2014. He became leader of the party's branch in Wales in 2016. He left UKIP in 2018 and joined the Brexit Party, later renamed Reform UK, the following year. Gill remained an MEP until the United Kingdom left the European Union in January 2020.

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