The former leader of Reform UK in Wales has appeared in court accused of accepting bribes for making statements in the European Parliament that would benefit Russia.

Nathan Gill, 51, from Llangefni on Anglesey, is facing eight counts of bribery and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

The court heard that Mr Gill, who was a UKIP and later a Brexit Party MEP between 2014 and 2020, was alleged to have received money from his co-defendant and former Ukrainian politician Oleg Voloshyn.

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The defendant is alleged to have been tasked by Mr Voloshyn on at least eight occasions to make specific statements in return for money.

The court heard the statements, made in the European Parliament and in opinion pieces to news outlets such as 112 Ukraine, were “supportive of a particular narrative” which would “benefit Russia regarding events in Ukraine”.

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A lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) told the court that Mr Gill was stopped at Manchester Airport on 13 September 2021 under anti-terror legislation.

His mobile phone was seized and evidence was found that he was in a professional relationship with Mr Valoshyn and had agreed to “receive or accept monies in return for him performing activities as an MEP”, the court heard.

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He served as UKIP’s leader for Wales and was briefly an independent before joining Reform’s predecessor organisation, the Brexit Party, in 2019.

The north Wales politician led Reform’s 2021 Welsh Parliament election campaign.

It is not clear precisely when Gill ceased being leader of Reform UK Wales, but the job has not existed for some time.