The trial of a former Tory MP has heard how he received £39,000 in disguised political donations.
David Mackintosh, who represented Northampton South before stepping down in 2017, is accused alongside another man of not declaring the true source of the money.
The prosecution said the case “cuts across transparency and democracy”.
Mr Mackintosh, and Howard Grossman, a property developer from Hertfordshire, both deny the charges.
The registered party in this case was the Northampton South Conservative Association.
This was funded by a series of loans from the council to the club and it was alleged both men became friends after being introduced to each other in 2012 by the football club’s then owner David Cardoza.
‘Underhand way’
Mr Grossman, 61, from Bushey, was the ultimate source of all of these payments, the prosecutor continued, and they were made through 1st Land Ltd, a company set up to carry out the Sixfields development.
“He donated £39,000 to Mr Mackintosh’s fighting fund not in his own name … pretending in essence that they (other people) were the donors,” said Mr Boyce.
“The case against Mr Mackintosh is that he received those donations knowing that Mr Grossman was doing it in that underhand way.”
Nine donations were made to Mr Mackintosh’s political campaign ahead of the 2015 general election, Mr Boyce said, made up of three of £10,000 each, and six of £1,500 each.
The jury heard how 44-year-old Mr Mackintosh had been introduced to one of the £10,000 donors, Al Mayfield, at a fundraising gala for the Amy Winehouse Foundation and both men had visited the set of EastEnders in the company of Mr Grossman’s wife, Mandy.
