The telling thing about this is not that it is a UKIP MEP because I doubt that Ms Atkinson is alone in operating her fraud. It is clear that the EU paymasters operate little or no control over the huge sums of taxpayers’ dosh that they dole out. Anyone with half a brain would query how a restaurant bill for a meal in Margate could come to £3k (you could buy an entire restaurant in that town for a few bob more). This issue is indicative of the huge corruption, fraud and lack of scrutiny that comes with that wretched organisation.
Also apparent is the delusions of grandeur from which MEPs seem to suffer. Apparently the inflated bill was not requested by Ms Atkinson personally (heaven forbid!) but instead was requested by her “chief of staff”, Christine Hewitt. Why on earth should an MEP require a “chief of staff”. This term is used to describe a senior military officer or, in civvy street, a senior manager or director in a large organisation. I can’t imagine Ms Atkinson has such a large workforce attending to her every need that she needs a “chief of staff”.
Ms Hewitt is heard to say: "The idea is we overcharge them slightly, because that's the way we repatriate it." It is not known whether Ms Atkinson knew or authorised her staff member's apparent actions. Nigel Farage said "I spoke to her after midnight and she said it was all to do with bills and fundraising - I was frankly confused by it all.".
It seems that Ms Atkinson either does not know that her “chief of staff” is requesting inflated bills for her guvnor’s expenses (highly unlikely) or if she does she is trying to justify the fraud by saying that it is a legitimate way to “repatriate” funds from the EU to her pocket.
Of course none of this would have happened had the EU not had these funds to dole out in the first place. Then they would not need "repatriating" either by legitimate of illicit means.