Denis MacShane charged over expenses claims
By politics.co.uk staff
Former minister Denis MacShane has been charged with false accounting over his expenses claims.
The Crown Prosecution Service said proceedings had been instituted against the ex-Rotherham MP under the Theft Act 1968.
"Having thoroughly reviewed the evidence gathered by the police, I have decided there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to bring a criminal charge against Denis MacShane," the CPS' deputy head of its special crime division Malcolm McHaffie said.
"This charge relates to fraudulent claims with a total value of £12,900.
"It is alleged that Denis Macshane claimed expenses for research and translation services carried out by a company that did not carry out that work."
The ex-Labour MP, who spent 18 years in parliament and served as Europe minister in the New Labour government, resigned from parliament on November 2nd 2012.
Parliament's standards and privileges committee found his case was "the gravest… that has come to us for adjudication".
MacShane will appear before Westminster magistrates court on July 30th.
