Prince of Wales intended to meet controversial donor

THE Prince of Wales was facing renewed controversy after it emerged he offered to meet a Russian businessman who had donated a six-figure sum to his charity.

The donation had to be returned after the Prince’s Foundation’s ethics committee raised concerns about the background of Dmitry Leus, 51, a banker seeking British citizenship.

But Mr Leus now claims the money – handed to the Foundation through a third party – has never been returned to him and is reported to be considering legal action.

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Mr Leus.

The foundation’s ethics committee declined the donation after discovering he had been found guilty of money laundering in Russia in 2004 before having the conviction overturned.

Mr Leus has since said he was the victim of a politically motivated prosecution.

In his letter to Mr Leus, written in May last year, the Prince of Wales wrote: “I very much look forward to seeing you when this dreadful [Covid] crisis passes …”

The letter was written a week after £100,000, which was returned four months later, was sent to the Foundation.

‘I very much look forward to seeing you when this dreadful coronavirus crisis passes’

Mr Leus says that in total he believed he had given £500,000 to the Prince’s Foundation in two separate donations but now discovered that only £100,000 went in.

Mr Leus said in a statement to the Mail on Sunday: “I have now learnt that not all of these funds were then transferred to the Prince’s Foundation.”

The Mail on Sunday reported that he had not ruled out making a complaint to the police. There is no suggestion that the Prince of Wales was aware of any alleged discrepancy.

The Prince’s Foundation said it had received a £100,000 donation but that money was returned to the sender after the ethics committee rejected it.

The Foundation has declined to say who the sender was.

Douglas Connell, chair of the Prince’s Foundation, said it is “committed to the highest ethical standards”.

A Clarence House spokesman said: “The Prince of Wales fully supports the investigation now under way at the Foundation.”