MP claims Legatum founder Christopher Chandler was named “an object of interest” in France over links to Russia
An MP has used parliamentary privilege to claim that Legatum Institute founder Christopher Chandler has been named as a person of interest by the French authorities, because of links to Russia.
Conservative Bob Seely told MPs that he and some others had been shown documents relating to national security and money laundering, from Monaco’s security department and the DST, France’s equivalent of MI5.
Seely said: “These documents are brief, terse, factual files listing activities, associations and judicial actions. They have been authenticated by senior French intelligence sources and by British and American counterparts familiar with their contents.”
He added: “Mr Chandler is described as having been “an object of interest to the DST [a French intelligence agency] since 2002 on suspicion of working for Russian intelligence services”.
“Christopher Chandler’s personal file is marked file code S, a DST marker indicating, if I understand correctly, a high or higher level of threat to France. In France now the letter S is used to indicate radical Islam. In Monaco then it was used to designate counter-espionage.”
Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, who has previously raised questions about Legatum, said the emergence of this information, in light of growing concern about corruption and money laundering, demanded “urgent investigation by UK authorities now”.
Liam Byrne also warned there was a “risk [Legatum] is financed from sources derived from the Russian republic and may be part of panoply of measures drawn together since Putin’s re-election in 2012”
A Legatum spokesman said: “Christopher Chandler has never been associated directly or indirectly with Russian intelligence or the Russian state. Neither Christopher Chandler nor anyone at Legatum is aware of any such alleged “investigation” by French authorities, not 16 years ago or at any time since.
“To be clear Christopher Chandler has never been approached at any time by the French or any other authorities regarding Russia and maintains a sterling record of ethical business practices earned over many decades. These accusations are complete nonsense, and have been previously rebutted by the Legatum Group. “
This is not the first time allegations have been made against Legatum. In November last year the Mail on Sunday published an article headlined ‘Putin’s Link to Boris and Gove’s Brexit Coup’.
At the time, the think tank said: “We refute in the strongest possible terms the allegation that The Legatum Institute Foundation is aligned with, influenced by, or somehow connected to Vladimir Putin or the Russian state, or has ever been.
“This is patently false, completely unsubstantiated, and frankly, laughable. The implication that The Legatum Institute Foundation’s interests are aligned with those of Russia (or its leadership) are demonstrably false and is suggestive of a deeper agenda.”
The group, which has played a hugely influential role in shaping the government’s Brexit strategy, pointed to several pieces of work carried out over “an extended period”, which was critical of Russia, saying the reports “speak for themselves”.