The Wardman Wire

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Via the Cambridge News:

Tom Wise, an Independent MEP whose East Anglia constituency includes Cam¬bridgeshire, was charg¬ed by Bedfordshire police’s economic crime unit yesterday.

Lindsay Jenkins, a researcher, was also charged.

Derek Frame, reviewing lawyer, CPS Special Crime Division, said: “Following the publication of a news article in October 2005 relating to Mr Wise and Ms Jenkins, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) began an investigation into Mr Wise’s use of allow¬ances. OLAF sub¬sequently passed the investigation to Bedfordshire Police Economic Crime Unit for investigation.”

There were some “interesting” quotes from Tom Wise MEP in the original News of the World piece, most notably:

In words that may haunt him, he quipped: “There are two things that will destroy politicians. One is sex, the other is money.”

I do want to acknowledge his positive role in the Usmanov / Schillings saga – where he helped deal with the risk of legal action by reading out details of Mr Usmanov’s background under Parliamentary privilege.

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Garbo posted a video yesterday from German Television showing Members of the European Parliament signing in for their daily allowance, complete with packed up suitcases to facilitate (we are told) a quick and immediate getaway to the airport. It shows embarrassed MEPs hiding in lifts, covering their faces, and all sorts of fun and games.

The video was also posted at EU Referendum and sundry other places, but seems unaccountably to keep vanishing from Youtube (unless I have a unique Youtube blocker in my connection). I hope this is the same one.

Anyway, here it is as I have uploaded it again. Anyway, here it is as I have uploaded it again. I have also embedded this copy, and also uploaded several versions to my own space that you may download.