The former Tory council leader Lord Hanningfield is to be charged over alleged false expenses claims, prosecutors have said.
The life peer, 75, also known as Paul White, is to face one charge of false accounting over a series of claims made in July 2013 at the House of Lords, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
It is understood Hanningfield is alleged to have claimed a daily allowance after “clocking in” to parliament on 11 dates for no more than 40 minutes per visit. Scotland Yard opened an inquiry into the allegations last November.
In a statement, Hanningfield’s lawyer Daniel Godden said his client would be “fighting this charge all the way”.
“My client is very disappointed that the CPS is pursuing any offence in respect of his claim for expenses,” Godden said. “He has co-operated with the police inquiry into his expenses and has always maintained that he conducted parliamentary work both prior to, and after, attending the House on the requisite dates in July 2013.
“Any day where he left the House after a short amount of time was linked to his continuing ill health, which was documented in evidence given to the Scotland Yard inquiry.”
Hanningfield, a former pig farmer who was leader of Essex county council for nine years and a county councillor for 31 years, will appear before Westminster magistrates court on 29 October.
A CPS spokesman said: “The CPS has today authorised the police to charge Paul White, known as Lord Hanningfield, with one charge of false accounting in relation to claims for daily allowance at the House of Lords.
“Lord Hanningfield will appear before Westminster magistrates court on 29 October 2015.
“May I remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against Lord Hanningfield will now be commenced and of his right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
