At least eight MEPs elected for Ukip or the Brexit party are now known to have been the focus of efforts by Nathan Gill, a former Reform UK Wales leader who was jailed last month for taking bribes from an alleged Russian asset. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has named Jonathan Bullock, Julia Reid and Steven Woolfe as having followed a script provided to Gill by Oleg Voloshyn, a former Ukrainian MEP accused of bribery, when giving interviews to the pro-Russian TV channel 112 Ukraine in March 2019.
The CPS documents, disclosed in Gill's case, allege that the three MEPs followed talking points set by Voloshyn. However, there is no suggestion that any of them committed criminal acts or were aware that Gill was being paid to promote Russian interests. The Labour party has called on Nigel Farage to voluntarily assist the ongoing police investigation, with party chair Anna Turley MP urging Farage to order an urgent inquiry into pro-Russia links in Reform and to go to the police for interview.
David Coburn, another former MEP in Farage's group, has denied taking money after being mentioned in WhatsApp messages between Gill and Voloshyn that discussed a payment for him. Coburn rejected the allegations when confronted by BBC journalists. The messages were sent in April 2019 before a meeting of the editorial board of 112 Ukraine at the European parliament, which included Gill and Coburn and was linked to Viktor Medvedchuk, a Putin ally.
Bullock rejected any wrongdoing, stating that his comments to 112 Ukraine about national sovereignty were standard for his role as an energy spokesperson. He noted that he is a known critic of Russia. Woolfe declined to comment, but a friend said police had never contacted him and that he had nothing to hide. Ethan Wilkinson, former head of Gill's office, also denied receiving any payment after Voloshyn suggested a €3,000 reward for his 'fieldwork'. Wilkinson said he believed the activities were legitimate advocacy for free speech.
