LONDON — Boris Johnson, the front-runner to replace Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain, was ordered on Wednesday to appear in court for a preliminary hearing over allegations that he lied to the public during the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Mr. Johnson, a former foreign secretary under Mrs. May, has been accused of misconduct in public office over several claims, including the inference that Britain paid 350 million pounds, or $440 million, every week to the European Union for the country’s membership.
The £350 million figure was a central theme of the pro-Brexit campaign, which promised to invest that amount into the nation’s health service should Britain vote to leave the bloc.
The prosecution of Mr. Johnson was made possible by the businessman Marcus Ball, who raised more than £200,000 pounds to provide the financial backing to pursue the case. Mr. Ball’s lawyers said that Mr. Johnson’s conduct had been both “irresponsible and dishonest.”
No one from Mr. Johnson’s office could immediately be reached for comment. But he has denied wrongdoing, and his lawyers have argued that the case was a political stunt by opponents of Brexit.
In a written ruling, District Judge Margot Coleman of Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London said that Mr. Johnson should be summoned to court, while noting that the accusations had not been proven and she had not made any findings of the fact.
“Having considered all the relevant factors, I am satisfied that this is a proper case to issue the summons as requested for the three offenses as drafted,” Judge Coleman said. “This means the proposed defendant will be required to attend this court for a preliminary hearing, and the case will then be sent to the Crown Court for trial.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/29/world/europe/boris-johnson-brexit-court.html
2019-05-29 11:32:21Z
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