Bogdan Golik sits as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Samoobrona, (the self defence league) and was this week accused of rape. According to Jos Colpin, spokesman for the Belgian public prosecutor’s office, a complaint had been filed by a Brussels prostitute. The prosecutors however questioned the credibility of the allegation but there was now an investigation into the case.

Golik claims that he is the victim of a conspiracy. He said the “incident is just a provocation resulting from, among the others, actions undertaken by him against Russia-Germany gas pipeline project.”

Other Polish MEPs have been milling around gossiping about the affair. His party colleague Ryszard Czarnecki commented: “I will not be ashamed in the EP after what has happened. Neither I nor the remaining 52 Polish MEPs have reason to be ashamed. We work hard, we are active and appreciated by others. As one of the British weekly put it, we are ‘loud and proud’ in the EP. One black sheep – if the charges are corroborated – cannot change this image. The incident of MEP from Poland will be perceived as an individual case of someone who has more hormones than grey cells.”

Meanwhile socialist MEP, Genowefa Grabowska made light of the affair: “This came like a bolt from the blue. This is the problem of the whole EP. The matter has to be discussed by the Parliament as well as the Socialist Group and the decisions must be taken... We had different larks before but not such scandals. This is only our second year in the EU. I am afraid to think what else might happen in the years to come...”

Speaking to somebody far too well informed I heard a somewhat different story. Golik, it seems, had picked up a coloured French prostitute near the Gare du Nord, the notorious Brussels red light district. They went somewhere and agreed a price. Then he decided to dispense with the condom, and continued. When the deed was done, she, as is normal I understand for "bareback riding", then demanded twice the agreed price. He refused. She made off with his mobile phone and put in the charge. My informer’s sage advice, “Gare du Nord! Cheapskate, he should have gone to Avenue Louise, they are much better there and they would never take you to the police.”

Sitting in a cab last night with a Dutch Socialist MEP the conversation turned to the absurdity of the current Tory predicament. The subject broadened out into the insufferable self-importance of most MEPs, as opposed to their actual irrelevance. As he said “I am 57, I tell my staff not to take everything too seriously, to be honest, they might as well not turn up to work at all nobody would ever notice.” He further illustrated his point, “Our party website back in the Netherlands gets 30,000 hits per month; the section for MEPs gets 300.”