Senior RAF officer at Pentagon to stand trial over ‘£25,000 fraud’ linked to overseas rent allowance

A SENIOR RAF officer based at the Pentagon is to stand trial over an alleged £25,000 fraud.

Wing Commander Alex Drysdale, 44, has been in Washington DC for nearly two years helping the USAF develop future fighting capabilities.

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He is accused of fraud in relation to his overseas rent allowance of $28,127 (£22,204) and his fuel and lighting allowance of $3,708 (£2,927).

He denies the charges and faces a court martial at Catterick Garrison, North Yorks, next month.

Wing Commander Drysdale, who has been awarded a military OBE, is one of the RAF’s most senior officers serving in the US.

He is based with the Air Force Warfighting Integration Capability at the heart of America’s Department of Defence where he works as a military strategist.

He has previously been based in Saudi Arabia, Nevada, and in Scotland with 120 Squadron and in 2008 was awarded the Operational Service Medal Afghanistan.

The charges states: "Wing Commander Alexander Douglas Mcinnes Drysdale, of AFWIC Pentagon, USA, a commissioned officer of the regular forces, committed a criminal offence contrary to section 42 of the Armed Forces Act 2006 namely fraud by false representation contrary to section 1 of the Fraud Act 2006."

Commodore James Farrant, prosecuting, told the court: "The final quantum figures involved relate to overseas rent allowance totalling $28,127 and fuel and lighting allowance of $3,708."