Invoices from a North-East firm that are said to be unpaid could see British National Party chairman Nick Griffin brought before the High Court.
A judge has ordered papers be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions after hearing of an alleged breach in election expense rules following last May’s General Election. The case centres on two alleged unpaid invoices, totalling almost £10,000, for the BNP’s Voice of Freedom newspaper printed by Newton Press, based at Aycliffe Business Park, in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham.
Mr Griffin used the material during his failed campaign to be an MP in Barking, London. The invoices were declared as paid on the electoral expenses return. The alleged inaccuracy amounts to an offence under the Represention of the People Act, which contains draconian penalties for breaches of election rules.
The court heard that the invoices were made out by the Newton Press and they cannot now be paid without the court’s permission. The issue came to light after Mr Griffin’s then election agent, Richard Barnbrook, applied for protection against prosecution.
Mr Justice Tugendhat heard that Newton Press contacted Mr Barnbrook in February but the Greater London Authority councillor – who has since quit the BNP – knew nothing of the bills.
Mr Barnbrook said the printers had “asked the police to investigate why they haven’t been paid” and when he contacted Mr Griffin, the BNP chairman promised to arrange payments if Mr Barnbrook returned to the BNP. When the judge asked Mr Barnbrook if his relationship with Mr Griffin was “not particularly good”, he replied: “I think that’s putting it mildly my Lord”.
Mr Justice Tugendhat said he had “no reason to doubt” Mr Barnbrook’s plea that the mistake was “inadvertent” and that there was “no want of good faith” on his part. However, he adjourned the case, saying Mr Griffin, as election candidate, may also have to come to court to seek relief against potential prosecution.
Speaking after Monday’s hearing, a spokesman for Newton Press said last night: “It has got nothing to do with us and it wasn’t our action.”
The Northern Echo
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
I went past local BNP organiser Mike Bell's maisonette in Cofton Road, West Heath yesterday, and both his Union Jack and St.Georges Cross were nowhere to be seen. Has he done a bunk I wonder, knowing that good old Adrian Goldberg has been exposing him as an unashmed nazi prat for years?
And what of Elizabeth Wainwright, 2010 election candidate for Bromsgrove with a registered address of Mill Lane, Northfield?? Back in January the place was up for sale on local estate agents Dixons website, so has she fled in shame as well??
I believe the South Birmingham BNP may have gone the same way as Carry on Up The Jungle's Oozalem bird, ie disappeared up its own....
the belfast printer has not been paid for tens of thousands of election leaflets , this could sink griffin, there is also talk of faking invoices, searchlight need to get on this case . .
I bet diva Dicky was loving the limelight in court.
"searchlight need to get on this case . ."
Never mind Searchlight, this is a case for the old bill to investigate.
dickie is sucking up to griffin again
Post a Comment