The former leader of Reform UK in Wales agreed to make pro-Russian statements in the European Parliament for cash using codewords such as “promised x-mas gifts” and “postcards”, a court has heard.
Nathan Gill, 52, of Anglesey, North Wales, is facing jail after he pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery on dates between December 6 2018 and July 18 2019.
The ex-MEP’s activities included making pro-Russian statements about events in Ukraine in the European Parliament and in opinion pieces to news outlets, such as 112 Ukraine.
Opening the facts of the case at the Old Bailey on Friday, prosecutor Mark Heywood KC said Gill’s crimes were exposed after he was stopped at Manchester airport on September 13 2021 and his phone seized.
“He said that he was travelling to Russia by invitation to attend a scientific conference in Moscow and that he had been invited to act as an observer in the Russian state Duma elections in the middle of that month.
“He also said that he had performed the same role on two previous occasions,” the prosecutor said.
Gill’s mobile phone was examined and messages were found between him and Oleg Voloshyn, 44, a pro-Russian Ukrainian government official before 2014.
Mr Heywood said: “The communications between the two men showed that an established relationship existed between them.”
WhatsApp messages between the pair included references to “promised x-mas gifts”, “postcards” and “5K” which was a reference to payments, he said.
After speaking from a script at one debate, Voloshyn told him: “Impressive… you are the perfect orator”, the court was told.
Further exchanges between the pair related to Mr Voloshyn getting 5,000 euros for Gill for speaking with the Ukrainian news channel 112 Ukraine about the case of Victor Medvedchuk, a Ukraine national and ally of Vladimir Putin, being prosecuted for treason.
“It is made clear in the subsequent messages, and this again becomes a pattern after this time, that Mr Gill is invited to encourage others to adopt the same approach and to repeat the same line,” Mr Heywood said.
There were references to other members of the European Parliament, including British representatives and politicians from the Netherlands, the court was told.
Mr Voloshyn reported that if Gill could get three, then “they” would be extremely grateful and that his fee would be “5K”.
Following the 2019 European Elections, Mr Voloshyn asked Gill to arrange for colleagues from the Brexit Party to attend a presentation by Mr Medvedchuk on the ongoing conflict in the Donbas region.
Mr Heywood said the Ukrainian asked Gill to book a room and various names were mentioned including a “leading figure”.
In response to Gill’s certainty that he could “drag a few in to attend”, Voloshyn promised he would be fairly rewarded, and said: “I already have a small sack of paper gifts for you.”
At the time of the offences, Gill was a member of the European Parliament, having been originally elected for the UK Independence Party (Ukip).
On January 30 2020 there were a series of exchanges between Gill and Voloshyn, who passed on thanks from “V”, which was said to be Mr Medvedchuk.
The next day, Gill ceased to be an MEP on the departure of the UK from the European Union.
Mr Voloshyn, who also became a member of the Ukrainian parliament, had links to media outlets such as 112 Ukraine, with which his wife was associated, the court heard.
Gill led Reform UK’s 2021 Welsh Parliament election campaign but is no longer a member of the party.
The defendant will be sentenced at the Old Bailey by Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb later.
