UK Independence Party - Sunday Times allegations 'untrue'
Sunday, 24 February 2008 The leader of the UK Independence Party, Nigel Farage MEP, has issued a statement in response to an article published in The Sunday Times of 24 February under the headline "Anti-Brussels MEP pays son from EU funds.”
Mr Farage’s statement says:
“There is not a single grain of truth in the statement that I am employing my son using EU allowances or in any other capacity.
“The article also contains a statement alleging that I am being investigated by OLAF, the EU’s fraud watch dog. This is simply untrue.”
The statement refers to a further claim in the article that a former UKIP regional organiser alleged the party was misusing EU funds. Mr Farage says: “It fails to say that this individual recently lost on all counts a legal case against Mike Nattrass MEP.”
Mr Farage says the newspaper asked him “ridiculous questions” relating to allegations that he was acting in an illegal manner financially.
He added: “I am particularly annoyed that my son should be dragged into this and his photograph published alongside a story containing allegations for which there is no evidence at all.”
The UK Independence Party recently appointed as its Treasurer Mrs Marta Andreasen, the accountant who was sacked by the EU in 2002 for refusing to approve its accounts. The party said she had been asked to take up the position because of her openness, honesty and professionalism as an accountant.