ISTANBUL

Nathan Gill, former leader of Reform UK in Wales and member of the European Parliament, was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison on Friday for accepting bribes to peddle a pro-Russia stance in the media.

Justice Cheema-Grubb said at the Old Bailey that Gill "abused a position of significant authority and trust" and was "motivated by financial and political gain," according to Sky News.

Gill, 52, had earlier admitted to eight bribery charges covering the period from Dec. 6, 2018, to July 18, 2019, when he was serving as an MEP.

His actions were reportedly tied to pro-Russian remarks about Ukraine made during his time with the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and later the Brexit Party.

Counter-terrorism police said they believe Gill accepted at least £40,000 (about $52,335) in cash and sought to connect other British MEPs for potential bribery, and that some individuals involved were believed to have direct links to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In an interview with Sky News at the G20 summit in South Africa, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Reform UK leader Nigel Farage "needs to launch an investigation into his party to understand how that happened."

He said the investigation should also examine "what other links are there between Reform and Russia."

"[Nigel Farage] needs to deal with this pro-Russian bribery. It's not just a serious criminal offence, it undermines our country," Starmer added.