- A former Russian banker with an overturned money-laundering conviction held a top Tory role.
- Dmitry Leus was president of the Runnymede and Weybridge Conservative Association until Feb 2022.
- Leus has given £25,000 to minister Dominic Raab, but a donation to the Prince's Trust was rejected.
A Russian former banker with an overturned money laundering conviction, who has given £25,000 to Dominic Raab, was made president of a local Conservative association, Insider has learned.
Dmitry Leus was president of the Runnymede and Weybridge Conservative association from June 2021 to February 2022, local senior Conservative sources have told Insider, in claims supported by two separate screenshots of the association's website posted to Twitter last year.
One senior local Conservative source suggested Leus was pressured not to stand again against the backdrop of rising tensions with Russia.
The source, granted anonymity to speak frankly, told Insider that Leus had been elected as president in June 2021, but by the time of the next annual general meeting in February 2022, he had been "strongly discouraged" not to stand again.
A second senior local Conservative source, who was also granted anonymity, told Insider that Leus served with the association for a year, but were not aware Leus had been pressured not to continue.
The source added that the AGM was held prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and that the conflict was unrelated to Leus stepping down as president.
The position of president is an honorary one, and not involved with the day-to-day running of the association. Leus's successor as president was a local councillor, Mark Maddox, who died on March 1, SurreyLive reported.
Leus's spokeswoman told Insider: "Mr Leus, who was born in Turkmenistan, has strived to contribute to UK and local life since his arrival in the UK. This includes his support for local causes such as the Runnymede Foodbank and Bright Lights.
"It is important to understand that he is not even from Russia and certainly not part of any 'Putin circle'. In response to your question about pressure not to stand again at an AGM, Mr Leus was in wholehearted agreement regarding the choice of the late Mark Maddox to take on the role, believing him to be an excellent candidate with a fantastic track record of contributing to the community."
In addition to £25,000 of donations made to then Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in July 2021, Leus has also attempted to make a six-figure contribution to Prince Charles's foundation, according to a Sunday Times investigation.
A £100,000 donation from Leus to the Prince's Trust was rejected by the ethics committee over concerns about the origin of the funds. Leus's representatives say the Prince's Trust has sent a letter of apology and that the Charity Commission has confirmed no wrongdoing on his part.
Leus was convicted of money laundering in Russia in 2004, but the conviction was later overturned. Leus's representatives say his imprisonment in Moscow was on politically-motivated charges, and that he has no criminal record.
Leus's failure to declare the overturned conviction led to his application for an investor's visa being denied by the Home Office in 2014, due to what his representatives have said was a misunderstanding, The Sunday Times reported.
Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) and the Runnymede and Weybridge Conservative association had not responded to Insider's request for comment at the time of publishing.