Theresa May's potential successor at Downing Street may be in trouble with the British justice system. London court ruled on Wednesday (May 29th) to call former foreign minister Boris Johnson, prime minister candidate, accused of lying about the cost of Britain's membership of the EU European Union during the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign.
Boris Johnson will have to go to court for a preliminary hearing, which will determine whether the case should then be referred to another court for trial, the court said, without giving a date.
His intervention in the referendum campaign was decisive for Brexit's victory in 2016, with 52% of the vote.
The charges against Boris Johnson come from businessman Marcus Ball. According to his lawyers, the fervent Brexit defender knowingly lied, while he was mayor of London, claiming that the United Kingdom was paying 350 million pounds [400 million euros] a week in Brussels. They want to prosecute him for serious misconduct in the performance of his duties.
"Mr. Johnson chose to mislead the public"
"Democracy demands responsible and honest leadership from people in public office," Advocate Lewis Power told Westminster Court last Thursday. "The UK has never sent or donated 350 million pounds a week," he said. Boris Johnson "knew that figure was wrong, but he chose to repeat it again and again," he said.
"The accusation is not about Brexit", assured the lawyer, defending to want to hinder the divorce of the country with the European Union, "but it was during the referendum on Brexit that Mr. Johnson chose to mislead the public ".
Charges rejected by the politician. For his lawyer Adrian Darbishire, the charge is inappropriate and the maneuver especially "political".
Skilful and charismatic, "BoJo" is a favorite among conservative party activists to succeed British Prime Minister Theresa May, who will step down on June 7. But he is less popular with his peers, who blame him for his many gaffes and a certain dilettantism.
With AFP