MP claims tycoon linked to Kremlin
explicit alleged link has been drawn in public between the Kremlin and Legatum. The institute dismissed the claims as ‘‘complete nonsense’’. It came as Sir Mark Sedwill, the national security adviser, singled out Russia as the primary military and strategic threat to the UK.
Seely, MP for the Isle of Wight, and others made their intervention during a debate on money-laundering and said they were speaking out ‘‘in the national interest’’ to fight the ‘‘malign influence’’ of Russia. Seely, who was elected last year and is pro-Brexit, was supported by Tory MP Adam Holloway and three Labour MPs, Chris Bryant, Ben Bradshaw and Liam Byrne.
Their claims are based on police files from 2005 which contained information provided by Monaco police and French intelligence covering a period from the mid-1990s. ‘‘According to the French security services as recorded by their colleagues in Monaco . . . Mr Chandler is described as having been ‘an object of interest to the DST [Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire, France’s nowdissolved domestic security service] since 2002 on suspicion of working for the Russian intelligence services’,’’ Seely said.
It is understood that copies have been passed to parliamentary committees investigating Russia-related activities.
The files also identify Chandler’s brother, Richard, according to Byrne, who cited the documents when he alleged possible ties to organised crime via two Russian energy companies, Lukoil and Gazprom, as well as alleged ties to a Chechen mafia figure and money-laundering.
A Legatum Institute spokesman said: ‘‘Christopher Chandler has never been associated directly or indirectly with Russian intelligence or the Russian state . . . To be clear, Christopher Chandler has never been approached at any time by the French or any other authorities regarding Russia and maintains a sterling record of ethical business practices earned over many decades. These accusations are complete nonsense, and have been previously rebutted by the Legatum Group.’’ – The Times