A Member of the European Parliament and his assistant have both been charged with false accounting and money laundering after an investigation into claims that they misused thousands of pounds of expenses.

Tom Wise, 60, who was hoping to stand for re-election in June, was elected for the UK Independence Party but now sits as an independent after being expelled from the party.

He and Lindsay Jenkins, his researcher, could face lengthy jail terms if found guilty.

The charges against Mr Wise, an MEP for the East of England, come less than two months before European elections for which an EU-wide survey has forecast a record low turnout. They follow a series of claims about the misuse of the generous expenses on offer in Brussels, including the Conservative Chief Whip Den Dover being required to pay back £445,000 in “unaccountable expenditure”.

It is the second time that a former UKIP MEP has faced criminal charges during the current parliamentary session. Ashley Mote, 73, who represents South East England as an independent, was found guilty of falsely claiming benefits of more than £65,000 and given a nine-month sentence in 2007. Mr Mote served his sentence and, because it was less than 12 months, was able to return as an MEP.

Mr Wise is alleged to have pretended that his own bank account was actually that of Ms Jenkins, his researcher, against EU rules. From November 2004 until October 2005, he is alleged to have channelled £39,100 into his own account, from which he paid Ms Jenkins £13,555. When the allegations surfaced, Mr Wise began repaying £25,530. He had the party whip withdrawn in 2007 after UKIP learnt that he was being investigated by Olaf, the EU’s anti-fraud office. The claims were first made in a Sunday newspaper in 2005.

Derek Frame, a reviewing lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service’s 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 allowances. Olaf subsequently passed the investigation to Bedfordshire Police Economic Crime Unit for investigation.

“These charges relate to alleged offences committed between October 2004 and September 2005. At the time Mr Wise was a MEP representing the United Kingdom Independence Party and Ms Jenkins was employed by him as a researcher.”

Mr Wise and Ms Jenkins will appear at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court on April 27.

The maximum sentence for false accounting is seven years. For money laundering it is 14 years.

Stephen Welfare, Mr Wise’s lawyer, said that the MEP denied any intent to deceive or any unlawful wrongdoing and would fight the allegations.

“Mr Wise repaid to the EU all excess money received but not accounted for,” said Mr Welfare.

“It is frankly scandalous that Mr Wise has been charged with criminal offences when MEPs and MPs from the major political parties have and continue to make bogus claims for expenses for thousands of pounds on any number of pretexts. Will we now see high-profile government ministers and leading politicians being charged?”

Mr Wise’s expulsion from UKIP left the party down to nine MEPs from the 12 seats it won in 2004 with 16.8 per cent of the vote, the second-highest share behind the Conservatives and ahead of Labour.

UKIP also suffered the departure of Robert Kilroy-Silk, the former broadcaster and Labour MP, who left in 2005 to set up his own party, Veritas. He then became an independent.

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