The outrageous revelation British millionaire Arron Banks, the biggest bankroller of the Brexit campaign, used Russian money to fund Brexit is fueling angry calls for the repudiation of the referendum held June 23, 2016.
Banks, the "Bad Boy of Brexit," is accused of siphoning Russian cash into the successful British Exit from the European Union campaign (Brexit) that triumphed in the referendum. He co-founded the Leave EU Campaign with Richard Tice, and is believed to have donated more than $11 million (CNY17 million) to fund Brexit.
This huge amount is the largest political donation in British political history. Banks' refusal to reveal the source or sources of this massive amount, however, placed him under suspicion. Banks was also one of the largest donors to the UK Independence Party (UKIP). He also bankrolled Nigel Farage's campaign to quit the EU.
The government said Banks "failed to satisfy us that his own donations had, in fact, come from sources within the UK." It's now clear Banks had multiple meetings with Russian embassy officials and was offered business deals in Russia before to the Brexit referendum. Banks claimed he had only one meeting with the Russians.
The United Kingdom's National Crime Agency (NCA) yesterday said it has launched a criminal investigation into the pro-Brexit millionaire over cash he used to promote Brexit.
The UK Electoral Commission said it suspected Banks "was not the true source" of money loaned to the Leave campaign, and that Banks had tried to conceal its real origins. It said it had investigated Banks' Brexit financial transactions, which appear to come from companies registered in Gibraltar and the Isle of Man.
This is a blatant violation of British law since the UK forbids overseas or foreign donations to registered political campaigners like Banks.
The commission said its investigation has uncovered evidence suggesting criminal offenses have been committed that fall beyond its remit. This is why the commission remanded its evidence to the NCA to allow the agency to investigate and take any appropriate law-enforcement action.
NCA is the UK's lead agency against organized crime; human, weapon and drug trafficking; cybercrime; and economic crime that goes across regional and international borders. It can be tasked to investigate any crime, however.
The commission also said another prominent Leave campaigner, Elizabeth Bilney, was being investigated. Labour MP David Lammy said it's time for Brexit to be "put on hold" so the NCA investigation can take place.
Labour MP Helen Hayes said the government cannot "continue blindly towards" Brexit while such allegations stand. She also tweeted the government cannot and must not continue blindly towards the constitutional and economic precipice of Brexit while such serious allegations of the undermining of our democracy remain.
