Fifteen individuals, together with former Tory MP Craig Williams, have appeared in court docket charged with betting offences linked to the timing of final yr’s common election.
It follows an investigation by the Playing Fee into alleged betting on the date of the election.
Showing at Westminster Magistrates Court docket on Friday, Williams was amongst three defendants who gave no indication of a plea at this stage.
Twelve others, together with Russell George, a former Conservative now unbiased member of the Welsh Senedd, indicated they might deny the fees.
The defendants will seem once more at Southwark Crown Court docket on July 11.
On 22 Might 2024, Rishi Sunak introduced the final election could be held on 4 July that yr, overturning earlier expectations of an autumn ballot.
Prosecuting on behalf of the Playing Fee, Sam Stein KC stated Sunak was amongst these to have given a witness assertion within the case.
Mr Stein informed the court docket the fee’s investigation was launched into “politicians and employees of the Conservative Party, and a former police officer… who had placed bets on the date of the 2024 general election with the benefit of confidential or insider information as to when that date might be”.
“The prosecution says that placing bets with inside information is a criminal offence, namely cheating,” he added.
Earlier than the election was referred to as, Williams was the MP for Montgomeryshire and a parliamentary aide to Sunak.
He was beforehand MP for Cardiff North between 2015 and 2017, earlier than he misplaced his seat to Labour within the election that yr.
Together with Williams, former police officer Jeremy Hunt, 55, of Horne in Surrey, and Jacob Willmer, 39, from Richmond, west London, didn’t point out a plea.
Together with George, these indicating a not responsible plea included Laura Saunders, the previous Conservative parliamentary candidate in Bristol North West, and her accomplice Anthony Lee.
The others indicating they might deny the fees included Simon Chatfield, 51, from Farnham, Surrey, Amy Hind, 34, of Loughton, Essex, Anthony Hind, 36, of Loughton, Essex, Thomas James, 38, Charlotte Lang, 36, Iain Makepeace, 47, from Newcastle Upon Tyne, Nick Mason, 51, Paul Place, 54, from Hammersmith, west London and James Ward, 40, of Leeds.
