U.K. Donor Said to Have Funneled Russian Money to Tories

LONDON — One of many greatest donors to Britain’s Conservative Social gathering is suspected of secretly funneling lots of of hundreds of {dollars} to the get together from a Russian account, based on a financial institution alert filed to Britain’s nationwide legislation enforcement company.

The donation, of $630,225, was made in February 2018 within the identify of Ehud Sheleg, a rich London artwork vendor who was most not too long ago the Conservative Social gathering’s treasurer. The cash was a part of a fund-raising blitz that helped propel Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his get together to a landslide victory within the 2019 basic election.

However paperwork filed with the authorities final yr and reviewed by The New York Occasions say that the cash originated in a Russian account of Mr. Sheleg’s father-in-law, Sergei Kopytov, who was as soon as a senior politician within the earlier pro-Kremlin authorities of Ukraine. He now owns actual property and lodge companies in Crimea and Russia.

“We’re capable of hint a transparent line again from this donation to its final supply,” Barclays financial institution wrote in a January 2021 alert to the Nationwide Crime Company. The financial institution, which maintained a few of the accounts used within the transaction, flagged the donation as each suspected cash laundering and a doubtlessly unlawful marketing campaign donation.

A lawyer for Mr. Sheleg acknowledged that he and his spouse acquired tens of millions of {dollars} from his father-in-law within the weeks earlier than the donation. However they mentioned that was “totally separate” from the marketing campaign contribution.

“There’s completely no foundation for suggesting that Mr. Kopytov’s reward for his daughter was meant as, or for the aim of creating, a political donation to the Conservative Social gathering,” the lawyer, Thomas Rudkin, wrote in response to questions from The Occasions.

It’s unlawful for political events to simply accept donations of greater than 500 kilos from overseas residents who usually are not registered to vote in Britain. Mr. Kopytov isn’t listed on the nationwide voter register, data present. It’s not clear why the Barclays alert arrived three years after the donation, or whether or not the authorities had investigated it.

It’s no secret that rich Russian industrialists have given closely to the Conservative Social gathering over time. Mr. Johnson as soon as performed a recreation of tennis with the spouse of a Russian former minister in alternate for a $270,000 donation. However these donors had been British residents, whereas paperwork filed in Mr. Sheleg’s case say the cash got here from a overseas supply.

For many years, Russian wealth has poured into the London financial system, enriching the legal professionals, accountants and actual property brokers who ironed out the small print. British leaders appeared the opposite method, even because the Kremlin sowed disinformation, meddled in elections and tried to co-opt politicians.

Now, as President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia lays siege to Ukraine, Mr. Johnson and his authorities are vowing to vary course and get powerful on Russian cash. The donation, and Mr. Sheleg’s subsequent ascent within the get together, exhibits simply how troublesome that can be.

Banks in Britain are required to alert legislation enforcement officers to suspected prison habits. They accomplish that by the Nationwide Crime Company, which receives greater than half one million suspicious-activity reviews annually. Most come from monetary establishments, however legislation corporations, actual property brokers and casinos additionally contribute.

Alerts can embrace reviews about suspected terrorist financing, romance scams or profit fraud. Former officers say they obtain so many alerts that some by no means get learn — a proven fact that can be an impediment to the federal government’s crackdown on Russian oligarch cash.

There isn’t any indication that the Conservative Social gathering or Mr. Johnson knew concerning the supply of the donation as outlined within the alert. However below English legislation, political events are liable for guaranteeing that their donations come from authorized sources.

Attorneys for Mr. Sheleg mentioned that the get together made no requests for added info or documentation when he made the donation.

A spokesman for the Conservative Social gathering mentioned that it accepts cash solely from permissible donors and that every one donations “comply totally with the legislation.” He wouldn’t say whether or not the get together ever investigated the donation or whether or not it deliberate to maintain the cash.

Mr. Kopytov, whom the alert recognized as the last word supply of the donation, is the daddy of Mr. Sheleg’s spouse, Liliia Sheleg. He served in Ukraine’s pro-Kremlin authorities of Crimea till Russia annexed the world in 2014. Since then, he has largely disappeared from public view.

Company filings present that he owns two accommodations in Crimea. The supply and extent of Mr. Kopytov’s wealth on the time of the donation, nonetheless, is unclear. Firm filings from that interval present enterprise connections solely to nonprofit organizations, small or inactive companies, together with his most dear shares value lower than $300.

Mr. Kopytov, in a press release supplied by Mr. Sheleg’s lawyer, mentioned he was a Ukrainian citizen and had not donated to any British political get together.

“I’ve no real interest in British politics in any respect,” he mentioned. “Any donations made by my son-in-law to a British political get together don’t have anything to do with me or with the cash I gifted to my daughter.”

The alert mentioned that $2.5 million was transferred from Mr. Kopytov’s checking account in Russia in January 2018. That cash pinged throughout Europe between empty financial institution accounts belonging to Mr. Sheleg and his spouse.

Subsequent, the cash landed in an offshore account linked to Mr. Sheleg’s household belief.

5 weeks later, it bounced again into the couple’s joint account in Britain, the data say. The subsequent day, $630,225 was wired to the Conservative Social gathering’s checking account. The transactions had been made in {dollars}, the data present. The get together recorded it as a £450,000 donation.

“Kopytov will be acknowledged with appreciable certainty to have been the true supply of the donation,” the alert reads.

Mr. Sheleg’s lawyer mentioned that isn’t the case. He mentioned the $2.5 million was a present, derived from a property sale, which was transferred to the household belief to repay a mortgage. Mr. Sheleg then borrowed cash from that belief to donate to the Conservative Social gathering, he mentioned.

Financial institution investigators had been suspicious, nonetheless, as a result of the entire Shelegs’ private financial institution accounts used within the transactions had a stability of zero earlier than the cash from Mr. Kopytov arrived, the report mentioned. All returned to zero when the cash left. This “would make it very troublesome to argue that the donation was in some way from Ehud or Liilia Sheleg’s private wealth,” the alert mentioned, misspelling Ms. Sheleg’s first identify.

Requested concerning the zero balances, Mr. Sheleg’s lawyer mentioned account balances fluctuate. What’s necessary, he mentioned, was that Mr. Sheleg didn’t rely on the cash from his father-in-law as a way to make the donation.

Speedy transfers out and in of a number of financial institution accounts, notably between totally different nations and offshore jurisdictions, are typically indicators of what anti-money-laundering officers name “layering.” The method is meant to cover the supply of the funds, and officers have urged banks to be looking out for such transfers, which can assist clarify why the donation was flagged.

Suspicious-activity reviews are confidential by legislation. A spokeswoman for Barclays and a spokesman for the Nationwide Crime Company refused to debate the matter. The crime company typically refers these reviews to different companies to analyze. A spokeswoman for the Electoral Fee, the lead company for investigating marketing campaign finance, mentioned it was unaware of any allegations towards Mr. Sheleg.

Mr. Sheleg made a number of extra donations within the following months, together with considered one of £750,000, making him the get together’s largest donor that yr. The paperwork reviewed by The Occasions say nothing about these subsequent donations.

Warnings about Mr. Sheleg’s monetary background and connections to Russia surfaced quickly after the donation and did nothing to sluggish Mr. Sheleg’s political ascent — or to cease the get together from accepting tens of millions extra from him.

Months after the donation, the British political and investigative journal Personal Eye reported that Mr. Sheleg had hosted Russia’s ambassador in London on the top of the fallout from the annexation of Crimea. Round that point, Mr. Sheleg turned companions with a businessman in Cyprus accused of connections to organized Russian crime teams, the journal reported. Photographs confirmed Mr. Sheleg and his enterprise accomplice assembly the president of the Russian republic of Tatarstan.

Attorneys for Mr. Sheleg mentioned he had met the businessman accused of connections to Russian organized crime teams solely “three or 4” occasions and was not his accomplice. Mr. Sheleg met with the president of Tatarstan for “enterprise functions” solely, the legal professionals mentioned.

By the point these revelations had been revealed, Mr. Sheleg was not only a donor. In fall 2018, he turned a treasurer of the Conservative Social gathering, a place liable for fund-raising and guaranteeing that the get together follows campaign-finance guidelines.

The warnings got here on the top of issues about Russian affect in Britain. Kremlin brokers had simply been accused of poisoning a former Russian spy, Sergei V. Skripal, on British soil, igniting livid requires extra sanctions towards Russia.

But when a British opposition lawmaker known as for an investigation into Mr. Sheleg’s donations and his “troubling connections” to Russia, the chairman of the Conservative Social gathering on the time mentioned Mr. Sheleg mustn’t have to reveal the supply of his wealth and raised the specter of libel.

And when Mr. Johnson turned prime minister in July 2019, he instantly appointed Mr. Sheleg because the get together’s sole treasurer. Mr. Sheleg conceived of and helped create a secret advisory board, later revealed by the Occasions of London, made up of ultrawealthy Conservative donors. He was knighted quickly after.

Throughout his time as treasurer, the get together acquired a surge in Russia-linked donations. Mr. Sheleg additionally donated generously himself: a complete of £3.8 million from 2017 to 2020.

In September 2021, seven months after Barclays alerted legislation enforcement officers to the donation, Mr. Sheleg quietly left his function as get together treasurer. There isn’t any indication that his departure is linked to any investigation into him, the donation or the supply of his wealth.

Legislation enforcement officers have by no means contacted Mr. Sheleg in relation to his donation, his legal professionals mentioned.