LONDON: Former MEP and Welsh leader of the Reform UK party Nathan Gill was Friday jailed for 10 years and six months by a UK court for taking bribes to deliver pro-Russia speeches in the European parliament.
Gill pleaded guilty at London’s Old Bailey criminal court in September to accepting thousands of euros (dollars) from a pro-Russian politician in Ukraine, and making scripted statements and television appearances at his behest.
These involved raising concerns about democracy in Ukraine, and criticizing Volodymyr Zelensky when he was elected as the country’s president.
“You abused a position of significant authority and trust,” judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb said, handing down the sentence, adding that Gill’s conduct “fundamentally compromised the integrity of a supranational legislative body.”
“You accepted payments from foreign nationals, made statements on important international matters at their behest, utilized scripted material presented as your own, and orchestrated the involvement of other MEPs.”
Gill was an MEP from 2014 to 2020 as a member of the Euroskeptic UKIP party, including when it was led by current Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
He was also leader of Reform UK Wales from March to May 2021, and was briefly a member of the Welsh parliament, called the Senedd, from 2016 to 2017.
He pled guilty to eight counts of accepting bribes between December 2018 and July 2019 from Ukrainian politician Oleg Voloshyn, who was later sanctioned by the United States and indicted for treason in Ukraine.
Police stopped and seized Gill’s phone in September 2021 when he was traveling to Russia for a scientific conference.
They found WhatsApp message exchanges with Voloshyn starting in September 2018, including Gill agreeing to make introductions in the European parliament and to try to win over “several MEPs.”
Farage — whose Reform UK party is topping several popularity polls in Britain — has said he did not know about his former colleague’s missteps. Gill is no longer a Reform member.
However, the case could be a headache for Farage, who has been criticized as being too soft in his stance on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Farage is also hoping that Reform will take power in the Welsh parliament in local elections next May.
The hard-right, anti-immigration party’s only member in the devolved Welsh parliament was suspended on Wednesday for using a racial slur.
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UK court jails ex-MEP for 10 years for pro-Russia bribes
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UK court jails ex-MEP for 10 years for pro-Russia bribes
- Gill pleaded guilty at London’s Old Bailey criminal court in September
- “You abused a position of significant authority and trust,” judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb said
US moves to counter China in Bangladesh, plans to pitch defense alternatives
DHAKA: The United States is concerned about China’s expanding presence in South Asia and is planning to offer Bangladesh’s next government US and allied defense systems as alternatives to Chinese hardware, Washington’s ambassador to Dhaka told Reuters. Bangladesh votes in a general election on Thursday after a Gen Z-led uprising toppled India-allied premier Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. She has since taken refuge in New Delhi, allowing China to deepen its influence in Bangladesh as India’s presence wanes. China recently signed a defense agreement with Bangladesh to build a drone factory near the India border, worrying foreign diplomats. Bangladesh is also in talks with Pakistan to buy JF-17 Thunder fighter jets, a multi-role combat aircraft jointly developed with China.
“The United States is concerned about growing Chinese influence in South Asia and is committed to working closely with the Bangladeshi government to clearly communicate the risks of certain types of engagement with China,” US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen said in an interview on Tuesday.
“The US offers a range of options to help Bangladesh meet its military capability needs, including US systems and those from allied partners, to provide alternatives to Chinese systems,” he said without offering further details.
The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Christensen also said that President Donald Trump’s administration would “like to see a good relationship between Bangladesh and India to support stability in the region.” New Delhi-Dhaka relations have nosedived since Hasina fled, badly affecting visa services and cricket ties between the two neighbors.
COMMERCIAL DIPLOMACY IS PRIORITY
Christensen said many US businesses were looking at potentially investing in Bangladesh but would want the next government to show early and clear signs that it is “open for business.”
“Commercial diplomacy is one of our top priorities, and we look forward to working with the new government to build on progress made with the interim government, particularly in strengthening commercial, economic, and security ties,” he said.
Energy producer Chevron has been in Bangladesh for decades but not many other US companies are visible in the densely populated country of 175 million people, as high taxes and difficulties repatriating profits have created some hurdles.
There are no Starbucks or McDonald’s outlets in Bangladesh.
The envoy said Washington would work with “whichever government is elected by the Bangladeshi people.” The race is between two coalitions led by former allies, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, with opinion polls suggesting the BNP holds an advantage.
AID FOR ROHINGYA REFUGEES
Regarding the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh, the ambassador said the United States remained the largest contributor to humanitarian operations.
“The US remains the largest contributor to the Rohingya refugee response and continues robust health programming in Bangladesh,” he said, noting a recent $2 billion worldwide funding framework signed with the United Nations to improve the effectiveness of such assistance, including in Bangladesh.
He urged other international donors to take on a greater share of the burden.
“The US cannot sustain the bulk of the effort alone. International partners need to increase their support for the Rohingya response,” he said. In recent years, the UN refugee agency has been struggling to raise sufficient funds to support the Rohingya community, leading to cuts in their rations and the closure of some schools for them.
“The United States is concerned about growing Chinese influence in South Asia and is committed to working closely with the Bangladeshi government to clearly communicate the risks of certain types of engagement with China,” US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen said in an interview on Tuesday.
“The US offers a range of options to help Bangladesh meet its military capability needs, including US systems and those from allied partners, to provide alternatives to Chinese systems,” he said without offering further details.
The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Christensen also said that President Donald Trump’s administration would “like to see a good relationship between Bangladesh and India to support stability in the region.” New Delhi-Dhaka relations have nosedived since Hasina fled, badly affecting visa services and cricket ties between the two neighbors.
COMMERCIAL DIPLOMACY IS PRIORITY
Christensen said many US businesses were looking at potentially investing in Bangladesh but would want the next government to show early and clear signs that it is “open for business.”
“Commercial diplomacy is one of our top priorities, and we look forward to working with the new government to build on progress made with the interim government, particularly in strengthening commercial, economic, and security ties,” he said.
Energy producer Chevron has been in Bangladesh for decades but not many other US companies are visible in the densely populated country of 175 million people, as high taxes and difficulties repatriating profits have created some hurdles.
There are no Starbucks or McDonald’s outlets in Bangladesh.
The envoy said Washington would work with “whichever government is elected by the Bangladeshi people.” The race is between two coalitions led by former allies, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami, with opinion polls suggesting the BNP holds an advantage.
AID FOR ROHINGYA REFUGEES
Regarding the 1.2 million Rohingya refugees sheltered in Bangladesh, the ambassador said the United States remained the largest contributor to humanitarian operations.
“The US remains the largest contributor to the Rohingya refugee response and continues robust health programming in Bangladesh,” he said, noting a recent $2 billion worldwide funding framework signed with the United Nations to improve the effectiveness of such assistance, including in Bangladesh.
He urged other international donors to take on a greater share of the burden.
“The US cannot sustain the bulk of the effort alone. International partners need to increase their support for the Rohingya response,” he said. In recent years, the UN refugee agency has been struggling to raise sufficient funds to support the Rohingya community, leading to cuts in their rations and the closure of some schools for them.
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