Political reporter, BBC Wales News
Getty ImagesThe former leader of Reform UK in Wales will stand trial next year, accused of accepting bribes to make statements in the European Parliament that would benefit Russia.
Nathan Gill, 51, from Llangefni on Anglesey, is charged with eight counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery at the Old Bailey in London.
At a hearing in the Old Bailey in London on Friday, defence barrister Clare Ashcroft indicated that the former Wales MEP intended to enter not guilty pleas.
A trial date of 29 June 2026 was set.
The court previously heard Mr Gill, who was a UKIP and later a Brexit Party MEP between 2014 and 2020, was alleged to have conspired with former Ukrainian politician Oleg Voloshyn between 1 January 2018 and 1 February 2020.
Mr Gill stood in the dock and spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth.
He was alleged to have been tasked by Mr Voloshyn on at least eight occasions to make specific statements in return for money.
A court previously heard that Mr Gill was stopped at Manchester Airport on 13 September 2021 under anti-terror legislation.
His mobile phone was seized and evidence was found that police say suggested he was in a professional relationship with Mr Voloshyn and had agreed to “receive or accept monies in return for him performing activities as an MEP”, the court heard.
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb set a trial date of 29 June 2026, and Mr Gill is set to appear in court next on the 18 July this year.
“Your trial is not going to happen immediately,” the judge told Mr Gill.
“There’s a degree of preparation that needs to take place.”
The judge released Mr Gill on conditional bail and said he should not make contact with Mr Voloshyn and not obtain international travel documents.
Mr Gill confirmed he handed his passport to police after the previous hearing in February.
Mr Gill was first elected as a UKIP MEP in 2014 and joined the National Assembly, as it was then called, in 2016.
He was an Assembly Member for just over a year, before he was 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.
The north Wales politician led Reform’s 2021 Welsh Parliament election campaign.
It is not clear precisely when Gill ceased being leader of Reform UK Wales, but the job has not existed for some time.
Reform has said he is no longer a member.
This article was originally published at www.bbc.com
Author
