Detectives are investigating bogus expense claim allegations which led to the suspension of a UKIP MEP and General Election candidate.
Party leader Nigel Farage said he was "deeply shocked" over the allegations a member of Janice Atkinson's staff attempted to defraud EU expenses.
He said a full disciplinary hearing would be held on Monday into the accusations and to establish whether Ms Atkinson had been aware of her staff member's alleged behaviour.
A Kent Police spokesman said: "The Kent and Essex serious crime directorate has received a report of fraud. The allegation is being reviewed and the investigation is ongoing.
"You'll appreciate this investigation is at a very early stage. Kent Police will not be releasing further details at this time."
Ms Atkinson was due to stand at the General Election in the Folkestone and Hythe seat - one of UKIP's top election targets.
But she has now been stripped of the party whip and removed as a candidate while a UKIP panel investigates the allegations.
Mr Farage said he had spoken to Ms Atkinson late on Thursday night but "did not get a clear answer".
He was speaking after The Sun newspaper claimed it had filmed a member of Ms Atkinson's staff "apparently plotting to make a substantial bogus expenses claim" in relation to a UKIP party in Margate.
The newspaper said the person told the manager of the restaurant: "The idea is we overcharge them slightly because that's the way of repatriating (the money)."
Speaking on his LBC radio phone-in show, Mr Farage said: "I was deeply shocked when I saw it (the film footage).
"It was one of the most incredibly stupid and dishonest things I have ever seen in my life.
"This was a member of staff. Exactly what the relationship between that member of staff asking for a false bill and Janice Atkinson is, I don't know.
"On the evidence of what that member of staff did, it doesn't look very good."
He added: "I am not going to prejudge this.
"But certainly as far as the member of staff is concerned, they have asked a commercial enterprise to do something that as I understand it is against the law."
Mr Farage went on: "I actually wasn't angry, I was just shocked.
"I just couldn't believe we could find ourselves potentially in this position."
In a statement announcing the MEP's suspension, a UKIP spokesman said: "The party is incredibly disappointed with Ms Atkinson, who appears to have exercised extremely poor judgment in acting in a way that the party has never, and would never condone.
"The party has acted swiftly and immediately. We always maintain a zero-tolerance attitude towards acts of this nature."
Ms Atkinson caused controversy last year after being caught on camera referring to a Thai constituent as a "ting tong from somewhere".
The 52-year-old - elected to the European Parliament last year - said she was "incredibly sorry" and had not intended any malice.
Meanwhile, UKIP has suspended its Scunthorpe candidate Stephen Howd.
The party said it was was investigating "an incident" alleged to have happened at his workplace.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Crime Squad Investigates UKIP MEP Fraud Claim
Dengan url
http://yojanganmenyerah.blogspot.com/2015/03/crime-squad-investigates-ukip-mep-fraud.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Crime Squad Investigates UKIP MEP Fraud Claim
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Crime Squad Investigates UKIP MEP Fraud Claim
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar