The secret offshore world of #Tory super-donor Lubov Chernukhin and her husband Vladimir. Mansions, quad bikes, an Oxfordshire chicken coop... all are owned by opaque companies. Oh, and Vladimir is a non-dom. My #PandoraPapers story with @harryfoxdavies theguardian.com/news/2021/oct/…
For anyone who missed, here's my piece on Mr Chernukhin's old #Moscow boss Vladimir #Putin. Putin's alleged lover, friend and oil trader associate have all hidden their wealth in #Monaco, with help from a British fixer. But is this cash really theirs? theguardian.com/news/2021/oct/…
Weeks after becoming Russia's prime minister Vladimir Putin made Chernukhin the number two at VEB, a state-run bank. He then promoted him to deputy finance minister followed by VEB chief, a Cabinet level position. Chernukhin left #Russia in 2004 for London with $350m in assets
This very #Russian tale would have ended there were it not for the fact Lubov Chernukhin began donating ££££ to the Conservatives. The #PandoraPapers suggest she is "financially dependent" on her husband's offshore fortune. She has given £2.1m to the party. Legally, Tories stress
The #Chernukhins don't give interviews and have not explained their lavish support for Boris #Johnson and Co. The leak shows their ferocious attempts to avoid scrutiny - at one point suing their own offshore agent after it shared information on their companies with tax regulators
There is no suggestion of wrongdoing. But there are legitimate questions to be asked about what checks the #Tory party carries out on its multi-millionaire donors - and whether it is appropriate for unaccountable offshore-facing non-doms to influence British politics in this way
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