Rich Tory’s firm paid £3.2m after ‘tax haven’ probe
THE firm co-owned by billionaire Tory treasurer Mohamed Mansour paid £3.2million in additional tax following an HMRC probe into the potential use of tax havens, it has emerged.
UK-based Unatrac said it had voluntarily been audited and handed over the cash in October 2020 for the period between 2014 and 2018.
Egyptian-born Mr Mansour, said to be worth £2.3billion, used the firm to donate £600,000 to the Tories.
Unatrac, which supplies heavy plant machinery to the oil and gas industry, has apparently scrubbed references to its operations in Russia after the Sunday Mirror revealed it continued to make cash from the region after the invasion of Ukraine.
Since our story was published last week, all items for sale in Russia have gone from Unatrac’s website.
And the website of the group’s Russia-based arm, Mantrac Vostok, last night appeared to have been removed from the internet entirely.
News of its tax affairs came as it emerged Mr Mansour hosted monthly soirees at his lavish Belgravia residence for up to 12 wealthy VIPs. Tycoons were given private SPLASH Our story access to ministers. After dinner they could quiz ministers including Rishi Sunak,
Michael Gove, Dominic Raab, Kwasi Kwarteng and Nadhim Zahawi.
No money was raised at the events, which took place while Boris Johnson was PM between 2018 and 2022.
But guests would later be approached by senior party figures to solicit donations to the party.
The dinners were not declared by ministers because they were considered political events.
Mr Mansour, 75, was made senior treasurer in December by Mr Sunak and former chairman Nadhim Zahawi, who was sacked last week in a row over his own tax affairs.
Mr Mansour is said to have pledged a further £2million for party coffers.
And it is claimed he offered to bail the Tories out of a £25million black hole after donors deserted the party.
Donations fell 45% in the third quarter of 2022, according to Electoral Commission figures.
Unatrac said of the tax issue: “Throughout the whole process, Unatrac worked collaboratively with HMRC… the matter is closed.”
The Tory Party declined to comment. An aide to Mr Mansour did not respond to a comment request.