Peter Skinner was a Labour MEP 1994-2014 for my region. He is now on trial at Southwark, England’s specialist court for fraud cases, reports the Telegraph.
[Skinner is] accused of using his expenses to pay £10,000 to his ex-wife.
Skinner, 56, is also alleged to have used some of the cash to repair the gearbox on his ex-wife Julie Skinner’s Land Rover Discovery and funded hotel stays, restaurants and jewellery by claiming a maximum £480,000 for support staff over five years.
One member of staff, Karen Forbes, was said to have invoiced the former MEP for the South East of England Region, for more than £122,000 in 2005, but worked at Tesco and was actually paid just £525 a month, Southwark Crown Court has heard.
MPs and peers convicted of parliamentary expenses fraud invariably received custodial sentences. The courts rightly take this type of fraud very seriously.
The trial court has received evidence from European Parliament officials and highlighted the gross inadequacy of limited checks on expenses in the Parliament.
MEPs can claim £120,000 a year in expenses without providing “real proof” of how the money is spent, because EU officials don’t want to saddle them with an “administrative burden” which would hamper their freedom.
EU expenses chief Frank Antoine-Poirel said that only on “very limited occasions” would MEPs be asked for “real proof” of where MEPs allowances ended up.
That is a situation that should not continue. MEPs should be subject to checks at least as tight as those imposed on MPs and most civil servants. There should be no claims without receipts, for a start.
The trial continues.
* Antony Hook was #2 on the South East European list in 2014, is the English Party's representative on the Federal Executive and produces this sites EU Referendum Roundup.
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