Ashley Neil Mote, 79, of Binstead, Hampshire, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court of four counts of obtaining a money transfer by deception, three counts of false accounting, two counts of fraud and two counts of money laundering. 

 

These offences involved over £400,000 worth of false claims to the European Parliament between 2004 and 2009, whilst Mote was an independent MEP for South East of England.

 

The misused allowances were used to fund his personal expenses, which included paying off part of a bridging loan and the mortgage on his home.

 

At the time of sentencing, Mr Justice Stuart-Smith said Mote knew “perfectly well” what the rules were when claiming for expenses. 

 

“You also knew perfectly well that what you were doing had nothing to do with funding whistleblowers and everything to do with funding your bridging loan, your mortgage, your legal expenses that were unrelated to your role as an MEP, and your family.

 

“The consistency of your dishonesty is positively breathtaking.”

 

Zoë Martin, Specialist Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Ashley Mote purported to expose fraud and promote accountability within the European Parliament. 

 

“However, these values were not applied to his own blatantly dishonest actions as an MEP.

 

"Over a period of five years, Mr Mote misused his allowances as a member of the European Parliament to fund his personal expenses.”