Boris Johnson has been ordered to appear in court over claims he lied by saying the UK gave the EU £350m a week.
The Tory leadership candidate has been accused of misconduct in public office after making the claim during the 2016 EU referendum campaign.
It is a private prosecution launched by campaigner Marcus Ball, who crowdfunded £200,000 for the case.
Mr Johnson’s representatives have called the case a “stunt” that is being “brought for political purposes”.
The preliminary hearing will take place at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and the case will then be sent to the Crown Court for trial.
The maximum sentence for the offence is life imprisonment.
Mr Ball’s lawyers lodged an application to summons Mr Johnson in February, claiming the MP had deliberately misled the public during the referendum campaign, and repeated the statement during the 2017 general election.
Lewis Power QC, who represents Mr Ball, said Mr Johnson’s conduct had been “both irresponsible and dishonest”.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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