Sunday Express

He’s the billionair­e pop star who ‘introduced’ future president’s men to a band of helpful Russians. As he cancels a US tour for fear of being held in the country, he tells the world... TRUST IN TRUMP

- By Marco Giannangel­i

A SINGER dubbed Russia’s Michael Buble last night accused Washington of “putting two and two together to make 2022” over claims he introduced Donald Trump to Vladimir Putin allies before he was president.

Billionair­e pop star Emin Agalorov, 39, spoke out after cancelling a sell-out tour of America and Canada, fearing he would become entangled in a probe into alleged Russian interferen­ce in the 2016 US election.

The 39-year-old son of Azerbaijan­iRussian property magnate Aras, who has a second career in realestate, famously organised Donald Trump’s trip to Moscow in 2013.

The then Apprentice star and Miss Universe beauty contest head was accused of seeing prostitute­s.

Emin also brokered a meeting in 2016, in which it is alleged the Trump team was offered damaging informatio­n to sabotage presidenti­al rival Hillary Clinton’s electoral campaign.

Present were three people associated with Trump’s campaign: son Donald Trump Jr., son-in-law Jared Kushner and consultant Paul Manafort. They met Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitsk­aya, and GeorgianUS businessma­n Ike Kaveladze at Trump Tower in New York.

The meeting is being scrutinise­d in the US Mueller probe into claims of ballot-rigging by the Russians.

The singer was due to start the sell-out tour when he was told he risked a subpoena, so cancelled. He says he will lose £380,000 for ticket refunds and lost flights.

Emin, who has had a Radio 2 “album of the week” with Wonder, said from Azerbaijan last night: “It’s very disappoint­ing, especially for my fans.

“We’d set aside an extra two weeks to speak to the investigat­ors. I was more than happy to volunteer this time to clarify certain issues. Then my lawyers told me they’d had a conversati­ons and there was a hostile mood and plans to subpoena me for mandatory testimony. Even that didn’t bother me.

“But when I asked if they could guarantee I could leave once the tour was over, they said probably not. The Mueller investigat­ion has already been going on for 18 months – I wasn’t going to jeopardise time with my family and other tours.”

Emin has tried to laugh off any conspiracy claims. His recent hit Got Me Good shows a Trump lookalike walking hotel corridors with Emin and Miss Universe beauties as the singer hands him a briefcase.

He added: “Because I was involved – I did meet Trump in Moscow and I did set up that pointless meeting at Trump Tower – I am one of the few people who knows the truth of what went on. And so I know how the most irrelevant things have been blown out of all proportion by politics.”

The 2013 Miss Universe episode in Moscow led to “dirty dossier” claims that Trump was involved in sex acts with prostitute­s.

But Emin said Trump was businessli­ke throughout the contest, adding: “To claim that I offered to get him girls is nonsense.”

More serious are claims surroundin­g the 2016 New York meeting. But Emin said: “My father had asked me to set up a meeting but... I asked my music manager Rob Goldstone to do it.

“At one point that day I called Rob and he told me it had been the biggest waste of time.

“We’d forgotten all about it until it erupted again years later.”

He said the hostility towards Russia was being fuelled by anti-Trump politician­s and the media.

“There’s an anti-Russia world fever and a lot of criticism against Putin,” he said.

“But Trump is a businessma­n and in the business world we all understand that it’s always better to make a deal than break a deal.

“He would want a more favourable relationsh­ip between the US and Russia and it would benefit both economies.

“If the world would just things would get back to normal pace.” relax, their

 ?? Pictures: ETHAN MILLER & ALEX WONG/Getty; TWITTER ?? GLAMOROUS LIFE: From left, President Trump, Aras Agalarov, ex-Miss Universe Olivia Culpo and Emin. Inset, Emin, announces tour cancellati­on
Pictures: ETHAN MILLER & ALEX WONG/Getty; TWITTER GLAMOROUS LIFE: From left, President Trump, Aras Agalarov, ex-Miss Universe Olivia Culpo and Emin. Inset, Emin, announces tour cancellati­on
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