London, Feb 24 (AP) A hard-right British politician has been charged with accepting bribes to make favourable statements about Russia in the European Parliament.

Nathan Gill, 51, appeared in a London court on Monday. He did not enter a plea to eight counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

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Prosecutors say Gill, a former member of the European Union legislature who also led the Reform UK party in Wales, was tasked by former Ukrainian politician Oleg Voloshyn on at least eight occasions to make statements in return for money.

Prosecution lawyer Richard Link said Gill made statements in the European Parliament and in opinion pieces to news outlets which were “supportive of a particular narrative” which would “benefit Russia regarding events in Ukraine”.

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The offenses are alleged to have taken place between 2018 and 2020. Gill was stopped at Manchester Airport on Sept 13, 2021 under British counterterrorism laws, and after an investigation was charged last week.

Gill spoke only to confirm his name, birthdate and address when he appeared by video link Monday at Westminster Magistrates' Court. He was released on bail until his next court appearance on March 14.

Gill was elected to the European Parliament in 2014 for the anti-EU UK Independence Party, and later represented the Brexit Party. He remained in the legislature until Britain left the European Union in 2020.

He led the Welsh branch of the Brexit Party's successor Reform UK during 2021 elections in Wales but is no longer a member, the party said. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)