Press Association
Sunday 12th February 2012
Three Labour MPs and a Tory peer accused of expenses fraud said they would plead not guilty when they appeared in court for the first time.
MPs Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine face charges of theft by false accounting.
Appearing in the dock before City of Westminster Magistrates' Court they told District Judge Timothy Workman they denied any wrongdoing.
Lord Hanningfield appeared before the magistrates immediately after the three MPs. He said he would deny charges of wrongly claiming for "repayment of travelling and other expenses".
Hanningfield faces six charges of false accounting, relating to claims for overnight allowances from the House of Lords between 2006 and 2009, when records allegedly show he was in fact driven to his home near Chelmsford.
Morley, who represents Scunthorpe, is alleged to have dishonestly claimed a total of £30,428 more than he was entitled to in second home expenses on a house in Winterton, near Scunthorpe, between 2004 and 2007 - including 18 months after the mortgage on the property was paid off.
Chaytor, of Bury North, faces charges that he claimed almost £13,000 in rent in 2005 and 2006 on a London flat which he owned, as well as £5,425 in 2007 and 2008 to rent a property in Lancashire owned by his mother. He is also alleged to have used false invoices to claim £1,950 for IT services in 2006.
Livingston's Devine is alleged to have claimed £3,240 for cleaning services and £5,505 for stationery using false invoices in 2008 and 2009.
All four were released on unconditional bail to appear at Southwark Crown Court on March 30. District Judge Workman declined jurisdiction and agreed with an application by the defence for the case to be heard at the Crown Court.
The three MPs left court without commenting to journalists. They got into a waiting black cab accompanied by their lawyers and escorted by police officers. There was a brief crush around the vehicle as protesters hurled abuse, shouting "pigs" and "oink, oink".
