New questions for Charles over offer to meet Russian
He wrote to controversial donor who gave 6-figure sum to his charity
‘My warmest wishes and heartfelt thanks’
PRINCE Charles offered to meet a controversial Russian businessman after he gave a six-figure donation to his charity, it has emerged.
The future king wrote to Dmitry Leus, 51, to say how ‘incredibly grateful’ he was for the money and he was ‘very much looking forward to seeing him’.
Mr Leus, who was also seeking British citizenship, paid £200,000 to a middleman after it is claimed fixers close to Charles had promised him access to the royal in return, The Sunday Times reported.
The money was supposed to go to Dumfries House, a restoration project for an 18th century Ayrshire mansion run by Charles’s charity The Prince’s Foundation, via Burke’s Peerage, whose chairman is ‘dealmaker’ William Bortrick.
Mr Bortrick did not respond to requests for comment. It is understood the charity received half of the money in May last year, with fixers taking the other half for ‘expenses’, prompting Charles to write to Mr Leus. He said: ‘I cannot tell you how incredibly grateful I am to you for your encouragement for everything I am trying to achieve... I very much look forward to seeing you when this dreadful crisis passes and, in the meantime, this comes with my warmest wishes and heartfelt thanks.’ Royal sources say the letter was ‘routine’ and did not constitute an invitation to donate. The Prince’s Foundation ethics committee rejected the donation via Burke’s Peerage, but Mr Leus was encouraged to give more.
He transferred another £335,000 via his wife Zhanna to Burke’s Peerage after allegedly being promised honours including an honorary CBE. Mr Leus, who promised a further £1million, was made a life fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and deputy steward of the Liberty of St Edmund. Charles does not have any connection to these awards. The Liberty of St Edmund is awarded by the Marquess of Bristol, a friend of Mr Bortrick. Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts is subject to nomination from a current member. The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator is now investigating the Prince’s Foundation’s dealings with Mr Leus, who founded a failed bank that investigative journalists claim was involved in an international money-laundering scheme. He was convicted of an unrelated charge of money laundering in Russia in 2004 but the verdict was later quashed. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by him.
Mr Leus met Mr Bortrick, 48, in January last year. He allegedly promised him access to royals. Mr Bortrick met Charles at the Castle of Mey, Scotland, after the first donation and told Mr Leus they had discussed a meeting between him and Charles.
Mr Leus donated £35,000 to the Castle of Mey and £300,000 to Dumfries via Burke’s Peerage but was told a reception with Charles could not go ahead in September last year due to Covid. Chris Martin, the Prince’s Foundation deputy executive director, advised Mr Bortrick to delete any online trail linking the Russian with the charity. But Charles’ right-hand man Michael Fawcett reportedly brokered a meeting with Mr Leus and the charity with the intention of accepting more donations.
Mr Bortrick allegedly assured Mr Leus the foundation was ‘likely’ to accept ‘clean money’ if he was open about his overturned convictions. Mr Leus claims he has not received any of the £535,000 back.
It is alleged senior officials forwarded the initial donation to another charity, Children & the Arts, where Charles is a patron.
Mr Leus has denied donating to the Prince’s Foundation in exchange for a meeting. Douglas Connell, of The Prince’s Foundation, said a ‘full and rigorous investigation’ was ongoing.
■ Prince Charles presented an honorary knighthood to a billionaire Saudi donor who supported Dumfries House. He gave the honour to Mohammed Abdul Latif Jameel, 66, in 2015. Mr Jameel’s spokesman said he ‘has never at any time sought any honour’.