MP Accused of Perverting the Course of Justice

Labour MP Fiona Onasanya has been accused of perverting the course of justice, according to media reports today.

The 34-year-old, who represents the people of Peterborough, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 12th July to answer two charges. For the last fortnight she has been keeping very tight-lipped about it. Perverting the course of justice is an indictable offence, which can only be dealt with in the Crown Court. The maximum sentence is life imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

A vehicle allegedly driven by Onasanya, a commercial property lawyer by trade, was caught by a speed camera on 24th July 2017, just four weeks after she defeated incumbent Conservative MP Stewart Jackson by the narrowest of margins.

The prosecution case is that Onasanya, together with Festus Onasanya (her younger brother), falsely informed the investigating authorities, namely Cambridgeshire Constabulary, that Aleks Antipow was the driver of the vehicle at the time of the alleged offence.

The second charge relates to a speeding offence alleged to have taken place on 23rd August 2017. It is claimed that Festus Onasanya was driving the vehicle on that occasion, but colluded with Fiona Onasanya to falsely identify a third party as the driver.

Festus Onasanya, a 33-year-old singer, faces a third charge in relation to an incident that took place on 13th June 2017.

Onasanya is due to appear at the Central Criminal Court in London on 13th August for a plea hearing. These are incredibly serious allegations. If convicted Onasanya will be guilty of the highest level of serial dishonesty and will undoubtedly lose her Parliamentary seat.

The Labour Party has refused to comment on the case.

The case against Onasanya, if proven, echoes that of disgraced former Liberal Democrat MP Chris Huhne and his estranged wife Vicky Pryce.

The couple were convicted of perverting the course of justice when they came to an arrangement over who would accept liability for a speeding offence. Pryce took the wrap on behalf of Huhne who had actually been driving. Pryce, an economist, occasionally gives economic soundbites on various TV news channels, despite her conviction for dishonesty.

We will be following this case very closely.

Update: Now that the cat is out of the bag Onasanya has tweeted the following: "I will be robustly defending all of these allegations, and strongly refute any suggestions that I have broken the law. As these proceedings are now ongoing, I will be making no further comment on the matter".