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Tom Wise, who used to represent the East of England for Ukip before becoming an independent, was sentenced to two years.
He is thought to be the first British politician to be sent to prison for fiddling claims.
A £3,000 secretarial allowance he claimed went to researcher Lindsay Jenkins was actually spent on a new car, fine wines and his credit card debts.
Southwark Crown court in London heard he also spent some of the cash on party political activities.
A national newspaper discovered his ruse, prompting Wise to quit Ukip and repay some of the money.
He inititially pleaded not guilty to false accounting but admitted the offence during the trial, insisting he was to blame, not 62-year-old assistant Ms Jenkins, who was cleared of the charges against her.
Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC today told Wise: "It is no exaggeration to say that you had hardly got your feet beneath your desk as an MEP before you were planning to defraud the parliament to which you were elected and the people you were elected to serve.
"This was very deliberate and blatant dishonesty."
He accused the politician of abusing the privilege and trust that came with being an MEP and rejected the suggestion Wise had been "bamboozled" by expenses rules.
Well is that not true.
The political class believes they are so much better.
They actually believe that "Its within the rules" arguement is acceptable.
"bamboozled" by expenses rules..............they have it 100% off pat......the 1 set of rules they do know very well.
The sad thing being that this was an MEP. Not 1 of the thieving group of 646 who can hold 60 million of the rest of us to ransom.
The sad thing being I will bet not 1 of the current group post the Daily Telegraphs revelations actually does any time.
Where as any man not in the political class who so much as sniffed at a penny of a false claim would right now be having his ass felt by "Big Vern" in the showers.
2 comments:
The first of many troughers I hope, did you Morley in Save My Ass From Prison mode at PMQ's
He he... lovely post LotF
I see that this UKIP man was a true British gentleman and blamed the whole thing on his assistant.
Listen Mr Wise, if you're too stupid to fill in your expenses form, you're too stupid to do a job that pays £65,000 a year.
Just one look at the picture suggests to me that he'll probably be safe from Big Vern.
Next......
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