The Tories are facing more questions over a 'cash for access' row today as a major donor was accused of receiving $4million from a firm he knew was controlled by one of Vladimir Putin's ministers.
Telecoms tycoon Mohamed Amersi, who has given the Conservatives £750,000 in the past four years, received the seven-figure payment in 2005 for work carried out for Luxembourg company First National Holding when it took over a Russian firm.
The following year a Swiss tribunal ruled that First National Holding was one of a number of firms controlled by Leonid Reiman, who at the time was Russian telecoms minister.
Mr Amersi has said that he did not know Reiman ran the Luxembourg budsiness at the time, believing it to be owned by a Danish lawyer. But a British expert in telecoms today told the Financial Times that this is incorrect.
James Hatt told the paper he met Amersi in 2000 in New York, saying: 'Mohamed understood a lot about Russian telecom. If we're going to discuss British politics, we're not going to spend a lot of time discussing who the prime minister is. We know who the prime minister is.
'And in the same way, that meeting with Mohamed to discuss telecoms in St Petersburg — you're not going to spend a lot of time talking about whether or not Leonid owns First National Holding. Because you know he does.'
Kenyan-born businessman Mr Amersi is embroiled in a row over accss to senior ministers - and the Prince of Wales - via Quintessentially, a 'luxury lifestyle management service' run by Tory co-chairman Ben Elliot.
It was claimed at the weekend that Mr Elliot had set up an exclusive club for the biggest Tory donors to meet the Prime Minister and Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Labour chairwoman Anneliese Dodds last night wrote to Tory counterpart Amanda Milling demanding the party 'come clean' about the level of access afforded to financial backers as part of the so-called 'advisory group'.
It has also been revealed that Mr Amersi donated £10,000 each to four hopefuls in the 2019 Tory leadership election: Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt and Rory Stewart.
Telecoms tycoon Mohamed Amersi, who has given the Conservatives £750,000 in the past four years, received the seven-figure payment in 2005 for work carried out on a Luxembourg company's takeover of a Russian firm.
The following year a Swiss tribunal ruled that First National Holding, which paid him, was one of a number of firms controlled by Leonid Reiman (left), who at the time was Russian telecoms minister.
It has also been revealed that Mr Amersi donated £10,000 each to four hopefuls in the 2019 Tory leadership election: Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt and Rory Stewart.
Mr Amersi denied Mr Hutt's claim today, telling the FT: 'I cannot speculate on what Mr Hatt may have known at the time but, for my part, it is untrue that I was aware of Mr Reiman's concealed ownership of First National Holding, so I could not have possibly engaged in discussions about this.'
Mr Amersi was quoted by the paper as saying the Tory access club was 'like the very elite Quintessentially clients membership: one needs to cough up £250,000 per annum or be a friend of Ben'.
The name was a reference to Conservative Party co-chairman Mr Elliot.
Following the report, the Tories said an advisory board meets occasionally and receives political updates.
But in her letter last night, Ms Dodds demanded information be made available about its purpose and who it has benefitted.
'It is in the public interest for you to clarify the workings of this so-called 'advisory board' and Mr Elliot's role in offering a powerful elite exclusive access to the Prime Minister and the Chancellor - purely because of their status as Tory party donors,' she wrote.
She called for a full list of all donors who have paid to be members of the board to be published, alongside the full complement of Government ministers who have attended any meetings or engagements with members of the board, including dates and times.
Ms Dodds added: 'The Conservative Party needs to come clean on what access this group had, what they used that access to lobby for, and why it appears that there is one rule for
