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An MEP faces prison today after dramatically changing his plea mid-trial to admit cheating the taxpayer over his expenses.
Tom Wise, 61, who represented Ukip before becoming an independent, diverted much of the £36,000 he was claiming for a secretary into a secret bank account.
Wise, then the MEP for East of England, even boasted he was “repatriating” EU money to Britain. He then spent the money on a new car, fine wines and settling his credit card debts.
Southwark crown court was told that had his fraud not been uncovered it could have lasted five years and netted him £180,000.
Wise, of Leighton Buzzard, who was kicked out of Ukip over the scandal, had denied false accounting between October and November 2004. But just before Ukip leader Nigel Farage was to give evidence against him he began a round of discussions with his legal team.
After an overnight adjournment, the jury was discharged and the disgraced politician admitted he was guilty.
The court heard how Wise had pretended the £3,000 “secretarial assistance allowance” he received every month was for his 62-year-old researcher Lindsay Jenkins. In fact he paid her £500 and it was not until his crimes were exposed in the press four years ago that he paid the money back.
Charges against Mrs Jenkins, of West Kensington, were dropped after Wise took full responsibility. He will be sentenced next week.
Wise had been an MEP for six months when he started the fiddle. He continued to serve as an independent candidate on the EU culture, media, education and sport committee until June this year when he did not seek re-election.
Jurors heard that before his election as an MEP, Wise had worked as an administrator on the rules governing their expenses. He later claimed that he did not realise he was breaking the law.
Wise later told an employee he “intended to use the money for the good of the party”.
In 2007, former Ukip MEP Ashley Mote, 73, who represented South East England, was found guilty of falsely claiming benefits of more than £65,000 and given a nine-month sentence.
Mote served his sentence and, because it was less than 12 months, returned as an independent MEP.
Reader views (8)
lets have the house of lords rabble and the members of parliment in court now get them sorted out
- Anon, leicestershire, 05/11/2009 15:44
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Take not of the full circumstances as outlined in the story.
He was thrown out of UKIP for these offences and Nigel Farage was going to give evidence against him.
A marked contrast to the behaviour of any other political party embroiled in the expense-fiddling disgrace.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 05/11/2009 15:32
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One down.
645 to go.
- Reuben Camara, Plot 1, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR, 05/11/2009 15:25
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Ukip just as crooked as the other parties then!
- David, East London, 05/11/2009 14:59
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Being able to fiddle anything, be sentenced to prison and then continue to supposedly represent the electorate again as one of the quoted cases above, tends to give hints as to why so many MP's wanted to continue with EU membership.
Look at some of the recent failures in British politics who have become millionaires by getting into the EU political games.
So far not one major UK party member has been punished but based on what we have all witnessed here in parliament, it is simply a matter of time.
The whole set up seems to be a con.
- Ken.H, Harrow. UK, 05/11/2009 14:58
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Good - Now lets start a few cases inloving Peers and MPs.
- Very Very Angry At Paying Tax For Mp'S Expeses, Home Counties, 05/11/2009 14:06
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Continuing evidence that it can be too easy to cheat the taxpayer and will, along in theory with others, really go to jail as he should for fraud.
- Edwin, beaconsfield bucks, 05/11/2009 14:04
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He is no different to any other MEP, especially from the third world countries in the EU.
We are better out of Europe.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 05/11/2009 13:57
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