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Case of the Missing Expenses

Reference: CA124

Appointment Type: Party appointed expert

Service Area: Criminal and Regulatory

Industry: Other

Litigation Type: Criminal

Size of Case: £100,000 - £500,000

Instructed by the defence team for a former Member of the European Parliament (“MEP”), who was accused of Misconduct in a Public Office and Transferring Criminal Property.

The Prosecution alleged that the former MEP had deliberately and dishonestly submitted falsified expense claims for mileage, as well as air and ferry travel. The Prosecution identified and relied upon ten particular expense claims in support of their allegations.

We were asked to review all of the former MEP’s expense claims from the period of their tenure as an MEP and to comment upon the expenses regime of the European Parliament at that time.

Subsequent analysis of the former MEP’s expense claims identified that although some expense claims were not fully supported, in a number of instances, the former MEP had not submitted claims for expenses that they were legitimately entitled to be reimbursed for.

The matter subsequently went to trial and the Expert was asked to attend Court to give evidence.

The former MEP was found not guilty.