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A British member of the European parliament has been arrested over allegations that he embezzled tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money by claiming it was for an assistant’s salary.
Tom Wise, who won his seat with the United Kingdom Independence party (UKIP) in 2004, has been questioned by police as a result of a Sunday Times investigation.
Officers in Bedfordshire, where Wise lives, acted after being alerted by the European Union’s antifraud watchdog, Olaf. Detectives, who have already interviewed a number of potential witnesses, including the Sunday Times reporter who broke the story, questioned Wise on Friday.
A police spokesman said: “A man has been arrested on suspicion of obtaining money transfer by deception. He was interviewed at Luton and released on police bail.” No charges have yet been made.
The investigation concerns allegations that Wise, a former policeman, claimed £3,000 a month under his EU assistance allowance for a researcher, Lindsay Jenkins, even though he had agreed to pay her a basic retainer of only one-sixth that amount. The money went into his bank account and he used some of it to buy a car.
Once the scandal was exposed, Wise repaid £25,530, but the affair is embarrassing to UKIP, which has campaigned against the EU “gravy train”.
After The Sunday Times detailed the extent of the alleged embezzlement last year, UKIP withdrew the whip from Wise.
Wise, who has always denied any wrongdoing, said last night he had voluntarily attended the police station and agreed to return for a further interview.

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"Sooner we're out of the EU the better, so I'm supporting UKIP."
Says who? If we pull out of the EU, it will be the final nail in our coffin. We are no longer an empire. The commonwealth is merely a titular organisation with no influence. We need the Eu as much as the EU needs us.
Richard, Plymouth,
Since when has Mr Rees-Mogg, who is a Tory supporter (his children are standing as MPs don't forget!) ever been impartial? He must have Tory motives for it....ah the Tory vote possibly?
Rose , Bath, UK
Sooner we're out of the EU the better, so I'm supporting UKIP.
Dave, Chester,
There are too many people in their own wee narrow-minded cults in this country, to busy questioning everyone and commenting on everyone else, too ignorant and blind to know what is really going on as a result Get real, they are all the same, Westminster stinks as bad as the rest, all parties!
Billy Carlin, Paisley, Scotland
Amazing just how deluded some people who comment here can be. Does anyone really think that the Sunday Times, which discovered this story, is in league with the EU?? There are people in the UK who need to do some serious growing up, stop seeing conspiracies everywhere, and accept facts!
Graeme, Dinan, France
Nasty misleading bit of journalism here. Tom Wise may have won his seat as a UKIP MEP but UKIP withdrew the whip when they were told of his alleged embezzlement. You don't mention this until the end of the article. The Times should be above this kind of biased and deliberately misleading journalism
Donna Walker, Effingham, England
What should really be investigated is the Conservative MEPs donating their Expenses through the European People's Party to the Irish "YES TO LISBON FUND"
Now that IS criminal.
Cameron says one thing.... and the Conservatives do another... !
JonO, Redditch, England
Nice try EU but you're not fooling us.
Phill, The Wirral, England
'European Unions antifraud watchdog, Olaf'
Is this an acronym or the name of the person responsible for investigating this sort of fraud? Either way it or he, as the case may be, is guilty of not dealing with the massive amount of fraud aka "the gravy train" that we all know too well.
Bill Q, Derby,
So, the UKIP's vehement stand against the EU gravy train obviously doesn't prevent them joining in and helping themselves to places at the trough.
Neil, Gloucestershire, England
There have been no arrests of British parliamentarians when they also have been obtaining fraudulent expenses. The question is, "Why no action in Britain on this matter"?. The European parliament are setting high leadership standards which the British parliament fails to do.
Jim Wills, Brisbane, Australia
So they've chosen a scape goat, strange that he belongs to UKIP, I wonder why it wasn't a member of the Labour party or the conservatives...hmmmmm.........I believe they still think we're stupid!!!!!
Barb Miller, Newcastle, UK
This is only the tip of the corrupt EU iceberg.
I bet the European Unions antifraud watchdog, Olaf wouldn't have been so forthcoming and keen to pursue charges had it been a pro-europe MEP.
Richard , Manchester,
Hopefully the first of many both in the EU and the UK to be questioned by poice.
barbara, north east,