David Coburn, a former MEP for the Brexit Party and leader of UKIP in Scotland, has strongly denied allegations of receiving payments as part of a pro-Russian influence campaign within the European Parliament. This denial comes in the wake of the conviction of Nathan Gill, a former colleague, who was sentenced to 10.5 years for accepting bribes to promote Russian interests.

Allegations and Conviction

Nathan Gill, who served alongside Coburn as an MEP, was found guilty of accepting bribes from Oleg Voloshyn, a former Ukrainian parliament member with alleged ties to pro-Russian activities. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) presented evidence, including WhatsApp messages, suggesting that payments were discussed for Coburn, identified as "D" and "David" in the exchanges.

The Role of Viktor Medvedchuk

The CPS documents further revealed that the bribery scheme was orchestrated by Viktor Medvedchuk, a prominent Ukrainian oligarch and close ally of Vladimir Putin. Medvedchuk's influence extended to pro-Russian media channels in Ukraine, where Gill and Coburn were reportedly involved in editorial meetings.

Coburn's Firm Denial

When approached by a BBC journalist outside his residence in France, Coburn categorically denied ever receiving payments to promote pro-Russian agendas. Despite the allegations, there is no direct evidence linking Coburn to any financial transactions related to the scheme.