BBC News reports that David Mackintosh, the former Conservative MP for Northampton South, has appeared before a court charged with covering up donations to his general election campaign.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and will face trial on October along with four other defendants. Two further people have already pleaded guilty to charges connected with these allegations and received suspended sentences.
The report explains that Mackintosh
is accused of not disclosing the true origin of thousands of pounds of payments to Northampton South Conservative Association in 2014. ...
The prosecutions are the first of their kind under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA).
The charges follow a lengthy police inquiry into the disappearance of £10.25m loaned to Northampton Town Football Club.
And well done to the BBC for challenging the reporting restrictions that were placed on the proceedings against Mackintosh and another defendant. The Crown Prosecution Service has not applied to have them extended.
Mackintosh, a former leader of Northampton Borough Council, sat for Northampton South between 2015 and 2017. He stood down before the 2017 general election in the face of opposition to his reselection among Tory members.
No comments:
Post a Comment