Nigerian-born British lawmaker jailed for three months for lying
An expelled Labour MP has been jailed for three months after being found guilty of lying to police to avoid a speeding ticket in the U.K
Nigerian-born Fiona Onasanya was convicted of perverting the course of justice after a retrial in December. She was sentenced to three months in jail and was told she will serve half her sentence.
MPs jailed for longer than 12 months automatically lose their seats under parliamentary rules, so Onasanya will not automatically lose her job. But a recall petition could force a by-election in her constituency, if signed by 10% of her electorate.
The Peterborough MP was texting as she was speeding on the evening on 24 July 2017. She was clocked driving at 41mph in a 30mph zone in Thorney, near Peterborough.
The prosecution said she colluded with her brother to avoid the ticket. Onasanya sent back the Notice of Intended Prosecution naming the driver as Aleks Antipow, an acquaintance of her brother, but Antipow was in Russia at the time of the offence.
