Campaigner Marcus Ball has crowdfunded £200,000 for the private prosecution, which claims Johnson deliberately misled the public during the EU Referendum by saying the UK gave the EU £350m per week. The preliminary hearing will take place in Westminster Magistrates’ Court and the case will then be sent to the Crown Court for trial.
District Judge Margot Coleman, in a written decision handed down this week, said: ‘The allegations which have been made are unproven accusations and I do not make any findings of fact.
‘Having considered all the relevant factors I am satisfied that this is a proper case to issue the summons as requested for the three offences as drafted. The charges are indictable only.’
Johnson’s defence team called the case a ‘stunt’.
