Arabic version: فاراج يواجه اتهامات جديدة بشأن فوائد غير معلنة

Nigel Farage’s spokesman has denied fresh allegations suggesting that the Reform UK leader may have broken parliamentary rules. Reports from the Sunday Times indicate that Farage failed to declare benefits provided by George Cottrell, an ally who was once convicted of fraud in the US. Cottrell reportedly supplied support, including security and social media staff, for Farage’s online content in the year before he was elected.

According to BBC News, Cottrell is also alleged to have provided a property rented by him near Buckingham Palace. Farage is already facing a parliamentary probe over a £5m gift from a billionaire Reform UK donor, which he claims was for personal security and not political.

Cottrell, who admitted a count of wire fraud in the US in 2017, has been a long-standing ally of Farage. He was previously jailed for eight months in the US after pleading guilty to a charge of wire fraud. The Sunday Times reports that Cottrell is now a cryptocurrency entrepreneur and involved with an offshore gambling website.

Under parliamentary rules, new MPs must declare financial interests and “registrable benefits” received in the 12 months before their election. Farage has registered certain donations from Cottrell, including a £9,253 trip to Belgium in April 2024 and a £15,276 donation for a US domestic flight in December 2024, but no other support has been listed. A spokesman for Farage dismissed the allegations as baseless and claimed that no parliamentary rules have been broken.

The Labour Party has criticized Farage, describing the situation as a significant scandal involving secret payments from a wealthy convicted criminal, adding to the ongoing controversy surrounding the £5m gift from a cryptocurrency investor. Questions remain regarding the nature of the financial support received by Farage and the implications of these allegations.