FORMER leader of Reform UK Wales, Nathan Gill, has appeared in court charged with accepting bribes in exchange for making favourable statements about Russia.
The 51-year-old faces eight counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
On Monday (February 24), Westminster Magistrates were told by the Crown Prosecution Service that Gill made statements in the European Parliament, and in opinion pieces to news outlets, such as 112 Ukraine, “supportive of a particular narrative” which would “benefit Russia regarding events in Ukraine”.
The defendant is alleged to have been tasked by Oleg Voloshyn on at least eight occasions to make specific statements in return for money.
The court was told that the defendant was stopped at Manchester Airport on September 13 2021 under the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Act 2019.
During Monday’s hearing, the 51-year-old spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and address. He entered no pleas to the charges.
Nathan Gill served as an MEP for six years and briefly represented north Wales in the Welsh Parliament.
Mr Gill was first elected as a UKIP MEP in 2014 and joined the former National Assembly in 2016.
He was an Assembly Member for just over a year, before being replaced by Mandy Jones in December 2017.
He served as UKIP’s leader for Wales and was briefly an independent before joining Reform’s predecessor organisation, the Brexit Party, in 2019.
Gill, who currently resides in Anglesey, was granted bail on the condition that he surrenders his passport, does not obtain international travel documents and does not contact Mr Voloshyn.
He is due to appear at the Old Bailey on March 14.
