Former Welsh Reform leader sentenced for pro-Russia bribes
Former Welsh Reform leader sentenced for pro-Russia bribes
After acknowledging accepting money for pro-Russian speeches and interviews, the former head of Reform UK in Wales was given a 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
It is believed that Nathan Gill, 52, of Llangefni, Anglesey, received up to £40,000 in total for supporting pro-Russian leaders in Ukraine.
When he took money from 44-year-old Oleg Voloshyn, who the US government had previously called a "pawn" of Russian secret services, he was a member of the European Parliament (MEP).
Judge Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb of the Old Bailey declared that Gill had abused his authority and undermined "public confidence in democracy."
Voloshyn was representing "close friend" Vladimir Putin and 71-year-old Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, who provided the money and the requests.
Investigations into "whether any other individuals have committed offences" are still ongoing, according to the Met Police.
Despite calls for a more thorough probe, Reform expressed its satisfaction that justice had been served.
How a former Reform politician's pro-Russian bribes were exposed through WhatsApp messaging
Farage was "stunned" that the former leader of Wales Reform accepted bribes.
Gill was a "extraordinarily willing participant" in the bribes, according to Cdr. Dominic Murphy, director of the Met Police's counterterrorism team, who called his activities a "threat to national security".
He claimed that the crime was a part of a "breadth of activity" by Russia that included events like the London arson attack in 2024 and the Salisbury poisonings in 2018.
"These are the types of things that we're seeing Russia commit across Europe - and it's why our international relations, particularly in counter-terrorism policing, are so important to how we can confront Russia and make sure we disrupt their activity."
At a previous hearing in March, Gill, an MEP from 2014 until 2020 (first for UKIP, then the Brexit Party), entered a guilty plea to eight allegations of bribery.
He appeared on television in late 2018 and early 2019 on 112 Ukraine, one of two Medvedchuk-affiliated channels that the Ukrainian government was threatening to shut down at the time.
Gill was bought off to speak in favour of Medvedchuk, a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician who was being prosecuted for high treason, and to defend the two networks, NewsOne and 112 Ukraine, in the European Parliament.
The court heard that Voloshyn had connections to those stations, and that his wife, Nadia Borodi, was a host on 112.
In 2021, both channels were discontinued.
Additionally, Voloshyn assigned Gill the duty of locating additional MEPs to address 112 and provided him with talking notes to distribute to them.
Gill mostly recruited MEPs from the UK, but there were also several from Germany and France, according to the court. There was no proof that these MEPs were aware that Gill was being bought off.
Voloshyn promised to "request and secure at least 5K" for Gill if he could get "three or four" more people on board, according to texts that the police were able to obtain.
In response, Gill said, "I shall do my best."
According to Cdr. Murphy, there was no proof that Gill was paying other people.
According to him, Gill was attempting to "find people who could speak openly in support of the Russian narrative in Ukraine" based on the "tone of the conversation".
In order to forward a purported "peace plan" for the Donbas region, Gill also hosted Medvedchuk at the European Parliament's Strasbourg headquarters. Vladimir Putin praised this event on Russian television the next day.
The court heard that Voloshyn requested that Gill make arrangements for colleagues from the Brexit Party to attend.
Voloshyn urged Gill to reserve a room, according to prosecution attorney Mark Heywood KC. Gill said he may "drag a few in" with them.
"I already have a small sack of paper gifts for you," Voloshyn said, assuring him that he would receive a reasonable recompense.
Voloshyn pledged to provide him €4,000 for the peace plan and $13,000 USD in one batch of communications.
According to Mr. Heywood, there was already a "close relationship between the two men" by December 2018.
Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb stated that there was "scant personal mitigation" during her sentence remarks at the Old Bailey.
"Your misconduct has ramifications far beyond personal honour," she stated.
"Involving other representatives in this activity exacerbates the wrongdoing and erodes the mutual confidence necessary for democratic institutions to function properly.
"The corrosive damage to public life caused by such actions is enduring."
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