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MEP makes fraud confession

Published on 5 Nov 2009 under category: legal

A former British member of the European parliament (MEP) has admitted to expenses fraud crimes.

Tom Wise, formerly of Ukip, is accused of a scam worth £36,000.

Wise is alleged to have falsely claimed the money through secretarial allowances.

However, the money was put into a bank account that he controlled.

Prosecutor Mark Fenhalls told Southwark Crown Court: "He used the funds, for example, to buy a car, to purchase fine wines and pay off some of his credit card debts."

He added that Wise only began to repay the money when the scam was exposed by a national newspaper.

The alleged expenses fraud resulted in Wise being removed from Ukip, leading him to becoming independent.

In other news, four men and two women have been arrested by HM Revenue and Customs in relation to suspected fraud crimes worth £4 million.

The arrested individuals are accused of tax evasion, fraud and money laundering.

If you require advice on Corporate Fraud please call us on +44 (0)20 7831 0101 and ask for Dan Hyde.