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Eurosceptic Targeted In Funding Scam?
Britain's most outspoken anti-Brussels Euro-MP has been accused of paying his son to work as an assistant, despite the 19-year-old being a full-time student.
The Times reports that the UK Independence Party's Nigel Farage is being paid via has father's EU expenses allowance. The newspaper adds that the revelation comes at an embarrassing time for Farage, as he has been "an outspoken critic of MEPs exploiting the EU “gravy train”".
UPDATE: Farage has denied the Times claim. See remarks from reader Trixy in the Comments section below for the UKIP Statement. Thanks to Trixy for sending this in.
Farage is coming under investigation by OLAF, the EU's internal fraud investigator. OLAF was invoked late last week when a confidential EU document lifted the lid on widespread expenses abuses by Euro-MPs.
It doesn't seem as if OLAF is dragging its feet on this one, in contrast to its cool approach to the confidential document we reported last week. A high-profile Eurosceptic scalp would be a fine trophy for the internal fraud unit.
Last week's document supposedly named no names. However, like many similar "anonymous" reports, doubtless the miscreants could be identified by readers, particularly with a little help from colleagues in the know.
Could this explain Liberal Democrat MEP Chris Davies' enthusiasm for the report? After reading the secret document last week Davies was in the Times and the Telegraph (not exactly his usual territory) claiming that some Members of the European Parliament should face police investigations or even prison should its findings be revealed.
Odd that Farage is the first name to crop up.
