Former MP Jim Devine denies he lied about receipts in TV interview

A FORMER Scots MP accused of fiddling his expenses yesterday denied in court that he lied in a TV interview to give an "air of authenticity" to his claims.

Jim Devine, 57, who held the Livingston seat in the Commons, is on trial at Southwark Crown Court for falsely claiming almost 9,000 from the public purse.

The former Labour backbencher says he requested invoices from his stationery company because he believed he was allowed to transfer money from his communications allowance to cover staffing costs.

Prosecutor Peter Wright QC referred to an interview given by Devine to Channel 4 News on 5 February last year.

Devine was asked by the presenter: "So what about the stationery receipts?" Devine replied that there was an order for some leaflets with stationery company Armstrong Printing.

Mr Wright said all of the money went towards staffing costs, and the receipts did not relate to any stationery orders.

He said: "But the money in its entirety went towards the payment of this lady that you will not name. You knew it wasn't anything to do with the leaflets."

The prosecutor put it to Devine: "Or was it that you were just trying to get a partial, inaccurate and untruthful account of what you had been up to, which had an air of authenticity about it."

Devine said: "No."

Devine, of Bathgate, denies charges of false accounting. The trial is due to continue today.