To say that insurance tycoon Arron Banks is a controversial businessman is perhaps an understatement. The famed political donor is known as one of the ‘Bad Boys of Brexit’, and now fresh accusations point to him as a diamond smuggler.
A report by The Sunday Times said the National Crime Agency (NCA), which is no stranger to Banks – it initiated a probe in 2018 into the source of the money he poured into the Leave campaign – is currently looking into allegations made by ex-business partner Chris Kimber about how illegally sourced gems from Zimbabwe and other locations were passed off as coming from Banks’ South African mines.
According to the newspaper, a sworn statement by Kimber and a cache of documents have been submitted to the NCA. These include a purported copy of an email allegedly sent by Banks in 2014.
The correspondence is said to have read: “Chris, can you bring over a certificate for the diamond I took back – have you got any blanks!!! Was looking at getting it cut but need the paperwork.”
Banks, who described the former business partner as having an axe to grind, denied the claims over the weekend. The millionaire called them a “concoction of nonsense,” asserting that he neither sent the email nor did he illegally remove diamonds from Africa.
Meanwhile the allegations also link the British entrepreneur to Russia. This isn’t the first time that a supposed Russian connection has been brought to light.
