FIONA Onasanya, a Member of the UK Parliament (MP), representing Peterborough has been sentenced to a three-month jail term for lying when the Police issued her with a speeding ticket.
Onasanya, born to Nigerian parents, denied being the driver of a Nissan Micra, after being captured by a speed camera in July 2017 at Thorney, Cambridgeshire.
The MP, (36) who was voted into the parliament June 2017 under the Labour Party (LP), has barely spent six weeks in the parliament before committing the crime.
According to evidence filed against her, she had driven at 41mp in a 30 mph zone and was as well texting while driving.
David Jeremy QC, the prosecutor told the court that Onasanya lied “persistently and deliberately,” to escape prosecution.
In his remarks, the presiding judge, Mr Justice Stuart-Smith chastised her saying, “You have not simply let yourself down, you have let down those who look to you for inspiration, your party, your profession and parliament.”
Besides, Onasanya had earlier connived with her sibling Festus Onasanya to claim responsibility of being behind the wheel, a lie she pushed on from November 2017.
He was also sentenced to 10 months jail term after admitting to altering the course of justice.
As a result, the Labour Party already suspended her membership while the Conservatives, the opposition party are calling for her resignation from the parliament stressing that, ‘she cannot possibly represent her constituent from prison’.
Christine Agnew QC, a lawyer noted that, “regardless of the sentence, it will have a disastrous effect on every aspect of her life and career, a career she has worked very hard for.
“She has already been expelled from the LP. At the moment, she continues as an independent MP and the reason for that is it is her only income.
“It is highly likely as a result of today’s sentencing hearing that she will lose her seat as an MP.
“It is a very public fall from grace. She will inevitably be struck off as a solicitor.”
Olugbenga heads the Investigations Desk at The ICIR. Do you have a scoop? Shoot him an email at [email protected]. Twitter Handle: @OluAdanikin