Parliamentary bosses have started proceedings to recover money owed by Den Dover, the disgraced former UK Tory MEP, it has emerged.
Dover was ordered by the Court of First Instance to repay €610,000 to parliament which he had wrongly claimed in parliamentary allowances.
But nearly six months after the court ruling a parliament spokesman told TheParliament.com that the money had still not been repaid.
He said the assembly had now instigated measures to recover the money. This is thought to include docking the money from parliamentary allowances to which Dover is still legally entitled.
"We will be doing everything in our power to ensure these monies are repaid as soon as possible," said the spokesman.
Dover denied any wrong doing and filed a case at the European Court of Justice appealing against the parliament’s demand to have the money repaid. He also asked for "interim measures" to stop any court action against him.
The former deputy asked that repayment "be suspended, in the light of the serious and irreparable harm that he would suffer if he were required to repay the sum."
The former North West of England deputy was expelled from the Conservative party last year over his allowance claims. The case has been referred to Olaf, the EU's anti-fraud agency although it is unclear what, if any, action it will take.
Following a parliamentary investigation and his expulsion from the Tories last November, Dover stood down before European elections in June, after 10 years as an MEP.
He remains entitled to full pension, worth nearly €40,000 a year and continues to collect his full salary for another six months as a retiring MEP.
He was unavailable for comment.
ALDE deputy Chris Davies has in the past called for legal action to be taken against Dover to recover the money. He has criticised parliament for "failing to pursue the matter with sufficient vigour."
He said, "If action is finally being taken to recover what, after all, is taxpayer's money, then that, of course, is to be welcomed. But you have to ask why it has taken so long."
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