16:26 EDT, 2 March 2021
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The most senior Army officer to face a court martial in more than 200 years today stood trial accused of defrauding the taxpayer out of almost £50,000 to pay for his children s private school fees.
Major General Nick Welch, 57, allegedly abused Army allowances when he took on the top job at the Ministry of Defence s London headquarters.
A military court heard the two-star general, earning about £120,000 a year, told the Army that his wife Charlotte would be living at his new London residence - which meant he could claim an allowance for his children s education.
In fact she spent most of her time at their £800,000 country home while they boarded at schools nearby, the prosecution said.