Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said he was “stunned” when he found out his party’s former leader in Wales had admitted taking bribes to make statements in favour of Russia while a Member of the European Parliament.

Last month, Nathan Gill, pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery between 6 December 2018 and 18 July 2019.

Asked, by BBC Wales, if he questioned Gill over the statements, Farage said: “I didn’t know anything about it, all I knew was that he’d been to Ukraine.”

“I told him not to go, he defied me and went, I was completely unaware of any statements that he made.” Gill, who also used to be a politician in Cardiff Bay, will be sentenced in November.

Gill was one of seven UKIP politicians elected to the Senedd in 2016 when the party was led by the current leader of Reform, Farage.

On a campaign visit, on Friday, for the upcoming Caerphilly Senedd by-election, Farage responded publicly for the first time to the Gill bribery case.

“I’d known this person for a very long time, I knew him in the European Parliament in the UKIP days to be God-fearing Christian, somebody that you would think was the least corruptible person that you would know,” he said.

Asked if he knew about Gill making pro-Russian statements, Farage said: “I didn’t know anything about it.”

“All I knew was that he’d been to Ukraine. He said ‘we’re going on a visit to Ukraine, do you want to come?’

“I said ‘you’re off your rocker, this is one of the most corrupt countries in the world, you must be mad’. And I told him not to go.

“He defied me and went. I was completely unaware of any statements that he made.”

Gill’s defence barrister has said he expects to be jailed for his offences.

The Caerphilly Senedd by-election, prompted by the sudden death of Labour Senedd member Hefin David in August, takes place on 23 October.

Eight candidates are standing:

• Liberal Democrats: Steve Aicheler
• Gwlad: Anthony Cook
• Greens: Gareth Hughes
• Conservatives: Gareth Potter
• Reform: Llyr Powell
• UKIP: Roger Quilliam
• Labour: Richard Tunnicliffe
• Plaid Cymru: Lindsay Whittle

You can find out more about the candidates here.