Former British MP sentenced to 18 months for expenses fraud

[News_Editor]

Former British MP sentenced to 18 months for expenses fraud

2011-01-08 04:30:51 GMT+7 (ICT)

LONDON (BNO NEWS) -- Britain's David Chaytor, a former Member of the Parliament (MP) for Bury North, on Friday was sentenced to 18 months in prison for expenses fraud.

Chaytor, 61, of Lumbutts, Lancashire, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court where he pleaded guilty on Monday to three charges relating to the false accounting of over £20,000 (approximately $31,105).

The British Parliament welcomed the conclusion of the case against Chaytor. The MPs, however, did not elaborate on the news as there is currently an outstanding number of trials and investigations against other fellow lawmakers.

Chaytor was initially accused of fraudulent parliamentary claims whilst Member of Parliament for Bury North. He was on the path of becoming the first MP to stand trial over his expenses but decided to take a guilty plea agreement.

According to the BBC, the former MP claimed rent for his own flat in London and rent for a house in Bury, which was owned by his mother. He falsely produced a tenancy agreement which said he was paying £1,175 (around $1,826) as a monthly rent.

Chaytor was expected to receive a maximum seven years in jail but a more lenient sentence was ruled due to his guilty plea. He was also suspended by the Labor Party and barred from standing for them again.

Chaytor was elected during Labor's landslide victory in 1997 and spent his 13 years in the Commons on the back benches. He had denied the charges until his sentencing.

Currently, two other former Members of the Parliament, one MP and two members of the House of Lords are facing separate trials over expenses claims as well.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-01-08