Farage and Tice sue NCA over alleged financial leaks
Richard Tice announces legal action against the National Crime Agency for alleged confidential financial leaks to the media.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Richard Tice and Nigel Farage are suing the National Crime Agency (NCA) at the High Court.
- They allege the agency committed multiple criminal offences regarding leaked financial data.
- The politicians are seeking a formal apology and financial damages.
- The dispute follows reports linking donations from convicted fraudster George Cottrell's mother.
Richard Tice, the MP for Boston and Skegness and deputy leader of Reform UK, has revealed on Talk TV that he and party leader Nigel Farage are launching legal action against the National Crime Agency (NCA) over the alleged leaking of confidential financial information to the media. Tice stated that they believe the law enforcement agency has committed multiple criminal offences and confirmed they will be pursuing both an apology and damages.
The legal challenge centers on accusations that the agency leaked individual bank statements, bank transfers, and private conversation details involving bank managers from various institutions. Last month, Tice formally wrote to the agency to demand an investigation into whether they were responsible for the unauthorized disclosure of private financial data. This followed investigative reports revealing that payments directed to his company, Britain Means Business, by the mother of convicted fraudster George Cottrell were flagged under the Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) program, which alerts authorities to potential money laundering.
Tice admitted he only became aware of the SARs filing when contacted by The Guardian newspaper, which broke the initial story. According to prior reports by The Telegraph, Tice's company Tisun Investment received an 80,000-pound loan from Cottrell in late 2024. That same year, Britain Means Business secured a 1-million-pound donation from Cottrell's mother, while Electoral Commission data indicates the company subsequently donated 500,000 pounds to Reform UK within the same month.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
This legal confrontation unfolds against a backdrop of intensified scrutiny regarding Reform UK's ties to George Cottrell. Reports from the Sunday Times previously highlighted that Cottrell supplied Farage with support, including security and social media personnel, during the year leading up to his election as an MP. Under parliamentary regulations, newly elected members must declare political gifts received within the prior 12 months, though purely personal gifts are exempt—a loophole Reform has relied upon to argue that Farage was not obligated to declare the assistance.
A Reform UK spokesperson confirmed that legal claims have officially been filed at the High Court, though BBC News has not yet reviewed the specific contents of the filings. As the case proceeds, the high-profile lawsuit marks a major escalation in the ongoing friction between political figures and law enforcement over sensitive financial disclosures.
Source: BBC Politics
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