Britse Europarlementariër betaalde €565 000 aan familiebedrijf (en)
Head of the UK Conservative group in the European Parliament, Giles Chichester, transferred some €565,000 in parliamentary allowances to a firm established by his father, according to UK media reports.
Since 1996, the company's records show that payments of between €30,000 and €67,000 a year were made to the firm for the provision of secretarial services, says a report in UK newspaper the Sunday Times.
Directors of the firm, whose claim to fame is that its maps were once featured in a Tom Clancy novel, have also received a total of around €200,000 (£158,938).
The money transferred to the firm, Francis Chichester Ltd., among whose employees is the deputy's wife, were taken from the MEP's annual staff allowance of €200,000.
Meanwhile, in addition to the secretarial and assistant services provided by the company, the MEP's wife already works as his part-time assistant on a salary of €25,000 to €38,000.
According to the UK paper, in an initial statement, the MEP's spokesperson said he had reported to the parliament six months ago that the situation may have put him in a conflict of interest, but had received no reply.
The MEP was in the UK for meetings all day, said his office.
Peter Wilding, spokesperson for the Conservatives in the European Parliament, said in response to the Sunday Times report: "Mr Chichester received a letter raising a potential conflict of interest 18 months ago, he replied clarifying the position but has since heard nothing from the authorities.
"There has been no suggestion that he has broken any rule."
"[Leader of the Conservatives in the UK parliament] David Cameron has placed great emphasis on the need for transparency, and in keeping with this Mr Chichester is happy to supply details of all of his expenses to the Parliamentary authorities if required to do so."