Top Tory calls for police investigation into ‘sexual blackmail allegation’ by party donor against female ex-MP

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A Tory tycoon in a “cash for access” controversy accused a female ex-MP of tried “sexual blackmail,” based on a former Cabinet minister.

Conservative MP Sir David Davis referred to as for a police investigation into businessman and Tory donor Mohamed Amersi for the potential “criminal harassment” of former Bristol MP Charlotte Leslie.

Using parliamentary authorized safety, Sir David additionally accused Mr Amersi of a “misogynistic hate campaign” against Ms Leslie on social media.

He additionally claimed Mr Amersi had tried to “intimidate” former Labour minister Dame Margaret Hodge.

In a wide-ranging assault, Sir David mentioned multi-millionaire Mr Amersi was a “shady fixer for corrupt politicians” who had made his fortune by “facilitating corrupt deals for dictatorships and autocracies” together with Russia.

And he claimed Mr Amersi’s libel legal professionals, Carter Ruck, had dedicated “perjury” by “lying” about how a lot Mr Amersi had spent on his failed lawsuit against Ms Leslie.

Mr Amersi responded on Tuesday night time by calling Sir David a “biased bully, coward and liar” and denied the allegations of their entirety. He additionally challenged Sir David to repeat them outdoors the Commons debating chamber, the place he wouldn’t have authorized immunity.

Nigel Tait, managing associate of Carter Ruck rejected Sir David’s declare. Mr Tait advised The Independent: “The judge found that Mr Amersi had misremembered his costs. There was no suggestion of any perjury.”

Sir David’s feedback come after a High Court decide threw out a libel motion by Mr Amersi against former Conservative MP Charlotte Leslie final 12 months.

Mr Amersi, who alongside together with his Russian associate Nadejda Roditcheva has given £750,000 to the Tories and backed Boris Johnson’s management, claimed he had been defamed by Ms Leslie in a secret file.

They fell out in 2020 after she claimed he tried to make use of his wealth to take over a Tory group run by her which goals to spice up UK-Middle East relations.

He additionally donated greater than £1m to King Charles’ favorite charities, resulting in him eating with the then-heir to the throne.

Philanthropist Mr Amersi defended his conduct as “access capitalism” and has all the time vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Sir David castigated Mr Amersi for the way in which he had fought his battle with Ms Leslie.

Mr Amersi’s “campaign against her went far beyond the (legal) case itself – he set out to destroy her reputation,” he mentioned.

“There were lies that she sexually blackmailed men, the collection of intimate details about her family, physical intimidation.

“And an obsessive, misogynistic and ultimately defamatory hate campaign on social media by Amersi himself.”

Sir David mentioned Mr Amersi “is deeply immersed in a twilight world of backroom bribes”.

“This is why he was so desperate to suppress Ms Leslie’s claims,” he added. “He did not want to be exposed and have his carefully crafted public image – that of a savvy entrepreneur and generous philanthropist – shredded.

“Amersi clearly hoped he could break Ms Leslie’s resolve and force her to concede through bullying, intimidation, and the threat of financial ruin. He failed.

“He put Charlotte Leslie through years of torture in what may have amounted to criminal harassment.”

Sir David mentioned Mr Amersi, 63, had earned £7 million a 12 months for a Swedish-based telecoms agency and had “aided and enriched regimes that resembled a shopping list of dictatorships and autocracies”.

They included Russia and publish Soviet states like Uzbekistan.

“Amersi facilitated corrupt deals. The repeat nature of the murky practices involved is striking,” mentioned Sir David.

Mr Amersi had “attempted to buy his way into the British establishment – and worryingly he has had some success. He has managed to recast himself as a philanthropist and benefactor, rather than the shady political fixer for corrupt politicians that he really is”.

He would do “whatever he can to get influence.. and clearly, the British establishment is vulnerable.

“There is a green-eyed gullibility at the top of society, with institutions happy to hoover up cash without asking questions.”

Sir David’s dramatic Commons intervention adopted a separate conflict between Mr Amersi and Dame Margaret Hodge.

The BBC reported on Tuesday that she has written to the Metropolitan Police and Electoral Commission calling on them to analyze whether or not the Conservative Party had damaged election guidelines by taking a £200,000 donation from his associate, Ms Roditcheva.

Dame Margaret mentioned recent particulars of the donation shortly earlier than the 2017 election had emerged in a brand new e-book, ‘Cuckooland,’ by investigative journalist Tom Burgis.

She mentioned Mr Amersi had provided to make a donation and had been suggested by Tory HQ that the cash ought to come from his associate’s account as a result of he was not on the electoral register.

Dame Margaret advised BBC Newsnight: “The Conservative Party may have knowingly taken a donation from a non permissible person.

“Mr Amersi at the time was not on the electoral register. And if you aren’t on the electoral register you aren’t allowed to give donations. If his money was transferred to a third party that is also non permissible. That is a very serious matter.”

The Conservatives mentioned they solely settle for cash from permissible sources.

Mr Amersi mentioned no guidelines had been damaged and that the cash got here from his associate’s account. He accused Dame Margaret of a “politically motivated vendetta” against him.

When Sir David criticised Mr Amersi in parliament prior to now, the businessman responded by calling the Tory grandee a “liar, coward and bully”.

In the High Court judgment final 12 months Mr Justice Nicklin threw out Mr Amersi’s libel case against Ms Leslie, saying he had “failed to prove serious harm” had been inflicted on him by her. It was hailed as a “landmark victory” by press freedom campaigners.

She despatched a file which raised questions on Mr Amersi’s previous enterprise hyperlinks Russia to a handful of senior Tories and figures within the intelligence companies. Mr Amersi claimed her “dodgy dossier” contained false data which broken his fame.

After Sir David’s assault within the Commons, Mr Amersi mentioned: “David Davis made another misinformed rant against me in favour of Leslie and to promote Burgis’s book.

“For the record I repeat what I had previously said: By using parliamentary privilege, Davis has bullied and lied about the true facts. If he has any substantive proof about what he alleges, please say it to me outside. Do not be a coward.

“Every deal undertaken had magic circle advisors and blue chip banks. I deny in the strongest terms any and all allegations.

“All the deals have been the subject of review by various enforcement agencies around the world and no wrongdoing on my part was established.”