Expenses MPs in bid to avoid court hearing

THREE Labour Members of Parliament accused of submitting false expenses, including Livingston MP Jim Devine, are to argue that their cases should be heard in front of Parliament and not the courts.

• (From left to right) Jim Devine MP, David Chaytor MP and Elliot Morley MP

Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC, the Honorary Recorder of Westminster, ordered legal representatives of Livingston MP Jim Devine, David Chaytor, Elliot Morleyto appear for three days of legal arguments starting on May 4 and ending on May 6, Southwark Crown Court in London heard.

The trio are accused of theft by false accounting, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment.

But Louis Mably, prosecuting, and Ed Fitzgerald QC, defending Morley and Chaytor, indicated there were problems with the availability of leading counsel for May 4-6, which is set to coincide with the widely expected date for the general election.

The legal representatives will appear before the trial judge, Mr Justice Saunders, at a later date in a bid to agree a new time.

The three MPs will claim to be protected by parliamentary privilege, covered in the 1689 Bill of Rights, the court heard.

Bury North MP Chaytor, 60, of Todmorden, Lancashire, is accused of falsely claiming rent on a London flat he owned, falsely filing invoices for IT work and renting a property from his mother, against regulations.

Scunthorpe MP Morley, 57, of Winterton, North Lincolnshire, allegedly falsely claimed 30,428 in interest payments between 2004 and 2007 towards a mortgage on his home which he had already paid off.

Livingston MP Devine, 56, of Bathgate, West Lothian, is said to have wrongly submitted two invoices worth a total of 5,505 for services provided by Armstrong Printing Limited.

He also faced a second charge alleging that he dishonestly claimed cleaning and maintenance costs of 3,240 by submitting false invoices from Tom O'Donnell Hygiene and Cleaning Services.

Representatives of Lord Hanningfield, 69, the former leader of Essex County Council, will appear before the same court tomorrow.

The Tory peer, of West Hanningfield, near Chelmsford, Essex, faces six charges of making dishonest claims for travelling allowances.

The legal argument in his case is expected to be heard at the same time as that of the three MPs, the court heard.

All four defendants are on unconditional bail.