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The Ukranian connection: John Whittingdale amongst MPs criticised for close ties with ex-Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych's favourite energy oligarch Dmitry Firtash
The Ukranian connection: John Whittingdale amongst MPs criticised for close ties with ex-Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych's favourite energy magnate Dmitry Firtash
(about 5 hours later)
Senior British politicians have been challenged over their links to a controversial billionaire businessman who was one of Ukraine’s most powerful figures under the country’s deposed President Viktor Yanukovych.
Senior British politicians have been challenged over their links to a billionaire businessman who was one of Ukraine’s most powerful figures under the country’s deposed President Viktor Yanukovych.
The energy oligarch Dmitry Firtash has faced allegations of media censorship and prompted angry demonstrations in the City of London by British-based Ukrainians when he was allowed to open the London Stock Exchange in October after funding a lavish “Days of Ukraine” cultural event alongside the Thames. This was run by his charity, the Firtash Foundation, which saw British Ukrainians stage a demonstration outside its secretariat in Leeds at the start of the recent unrest in Kiev with protest placards being fixed to the office entrance.
The energy magnate Dmitry Firtash has faced allegations of media censorship and prompted demonstrations in the City of London by British-based Ukrainians when he was allowed to open the London Stock Exchange in October after funding a “Days of Ukraine” cultural event alongside the Thames. This was run by his charity, the Firtash Foundation. British Ukrainians staged a demonstration outside its secretariat in Leeds at the start of the unrest in Kiev.
Mr Firtash has not been shy of his links to the now ousted Ukrainian leader, with promotional material for the London event boasting: “The Days of Ukraine in the UK received support at the highest level, including the patronage of the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych.”
Mr Firtash has not been shy of his links to the ousted Ukrainian leader, with promotional material for the London event boasting: “The Days of Ukraine in the UK received support at the highest level, including the patronage of President Viktor Yanukovych.”
However, this has led to questions for the Conservative peer Lord Risby, and MP John Whittingdale, chair of the powerful House of Commons media select committee, who were among the members of the organising committee for Days of Ukraine and have other ties to the billionaire.
However, this has led to questions for the Conservative peer Lord Risby and John Whittingdale MP, chair of the House of Commons media select committee, who were among the members of the organising committee for Days of Ukraine and have other ties to the billionaire.
The event was launched in the Houses of Parliament and attended by House of Commons speaker John Bercow and the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Konstyantyn Gryshchenko. Mr Firtash’s wife Lada was chair of the organising committee for the three-day event, which was sponsored by the businessman’s Group DF global network of companies and the Foundation. Boris Krasnyansky, CEO of Group DF, was also on the committee.
The event was launched in the Houses of Parliament and attended by the Speaker John Bercow and the Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Kostyantyn Gryshchenko. It was sponsored by the businessman’s Group DF global network of companies and the Foundation.
Mr Whittingdale is also director of the British Ukrainian Society (BUS), which the MP says has received financial support from Mr Firtash. In the register of members’ interests, Mr Whittingdale lists the society’s address at a palatial office block in London’s Knightsbridge used in the past by the Firtash Foundation and Group DF. The MP, who is chairman of the British-Ukraine All Party Parliamentary Group, has repeatedly travelled to Ukraine at the BUS’s expense.
Mr Whittingdale is also director of the British Ukrainian Society (BUS), which the MP says has received financial support from Mr Firtash. In the register of members’ interests, Mr Whittingdale lists the society’s address as at a palatial office block in London’s Knightsbridge used in the past by the Firtash Foundation and Group DF.
Lord Risby is chairman of the BUS, an organisation which has received secretarial support from Group DF. Other BUS directors include Robert Shetler-Jones, the former CEO of Group DF and now a member of Group DF’s Group supervisory council, and Lord Oxford, a former British diplomat in Kiev and another member of Group DF’s supervisory council. Mr Shetler-Jones has donated tens of thousands of pounds to the Conservatives through a company called Scythian. BUS' director Anthony Fisher is a former director of the Firtash Foundation. Another BUS director is Vladimir Granovski, a political spin doctor who worked on an election campaign for President Yanukovych and is a board member of Mr Firtash’s television business.
The MP, who is chairman of the British-Ukraine All Party Parliamentary Group, has travelled to Ukraine at the BUS’s expense.
Mr Firtash visited the Foreign Office in London on 24 February to meet officials and appeal for financial support for Ukraine and its businesses in the wake of the recent upheaval.
Mr Whittingdale went on a £2,800 trip to Kiev in 2010, “to meet members of the government of Ukraine and opposition”. He returned to Ukraine in 2011 as a guest of the society and in his capacity as chair of the British Ukraine All-Party Parliamentary group. That trip cost £1,700 and was to “meet members of the government of Ukraine”. A four-day visit in 2012 to attend a conference in Yalta, Ukraine cost £2,520. He visited the same conference for a £2,680 week-long trip in September last year.
Today in Parliament, Labour MP Helen Goodman, the shadow Culture Minister, challenged William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, over whether the Tories had taken money from supporters of the Yanukovych regime. Mr Hague described her suggestion as “ridiculous”.
In Parliament, the Labour MP Helen Goodman, the shadow Culture minister, challenged William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, over whether the Tories had taken money from supporters of the Yanukovych regime. Mr Hague described her suggestion as “ridiculous”.
Ms Goodman told The Independent: “At a time of crisis in Ukraine it is vital that the British Foreign Secretary can negotiate in the knowledge that there are no conflicts of interest.”
Ms Goodman told The Independent: “It is vital that the British Foreign Secretary can negotiate in the knowledge that there are no conflicts of interest.”
The fantastically wealthy Mr Firtash is a former meat trader and second-hand car dealer who made his fortune supplying goods to energy-rich Turkmenistan in exchange for gas that was sold to Ukraine. In 2006 he emerged as one of the figures behind RosUkrEnergo, a Swiss-registered company that controls Russian company Gazprom’s gas supplies through Ukraine to Europe.
Mr Whittingdale said his work sponsored by the BUS was intended “to promote closer relationships between Britain and Ukraine” and the society’s funding of his trips enabled him to “meet people in Kiev and Yalta of different political parties”, including the opposition leader Vitali Klitschko.
The Independent has learned that Mr Firtash owns a luxurious house on a discreet side street near Harrods. Land Registry records show he bought the vast property in late 2012 and it was completely rebuilt with modifications including an underground swimming pool.
“They have never given me a line or influenced me. They pay travel costs and accommodation for me to attend the Yalta summit but on each occasion I have met people from every party,” he said.
Mr Firtash is owner of Inter TV, Ukraine’s most popular television outlet, which has been criticised over its coverage of recent events in Kiev. Activists from the Maidan Square protests called for a national boycott of Mr Firtash’s channel. Journalists at the station signed a petition complaining about alleged censorship and pro-Yanukovych propaganda in the run-up to the recent disturbances in the Ukrainian capital.
The BUS, which has received secretarial support from Group DF, is chaired by Lord Risby.
Last week in Leeds, where the Firtash Foundation has its secretariat, British Ukrainians staged more protests against Mr Firtash. Martin Chymera, of Bradford Ukrainian Club, said: “We initiated the protests to demonstrate against Firtash to try to persuade him to do everything possible to stop what was going on in Ukraine.”
The peer said: “I have never ever had any instruction from Firtash or had anyone ask me to take any political viewpoint. I made it clear that we would make a judgement about who we would see and that we would not be subject to any pressure.”
Mr Firtash, who has in recent days also been linked to opposition leader Vitali Klitschko, states in his biography on the DF Group website that he “is not a member of any political party or movement”.
Mr Firtash – who owns a house near Harrods complete with an underground swimming pool – emerged in 2006 as one of the figures behind RosUkrEnergo, which controls the Russian company Gazprom’s gas supplies through Ukraine to Europe.
Mr Whittingdale has made a succession of trips to Ukraine funded by the British Ukrainian Society. He went on a £2,800 trip to Kiev in 2010, “to meet members of the Government of Ukraine and opposition”. He returned to Ukraine in 2011 as a guest of the society and in his capacity as chair of the British Ukraine All-Party Parliamentary group. That trip cost £1,700 and was to “meet members of the Government of Ukraine”. A four-day visit in 2012 to attend a conference in Yalta, Ukraine cost £2,520. He visited the same conference for a £2,680 week-long trip in September last year.
He is owner of Inter TV, Ukraine’s most popular television outlet, where journalists signed a petition complaining about alleged censorship and pro-Yanukovych propaganda in the run-up to the recent disturbances in Kiev.
Mr Whittingdale said his work sponsored by the BUS was intended “to promote closer relationships between Britain and Ukraine” and the society’s funding of his trips enabled him to “meet people in Kiev and Yalta of different political parties”, including Mr Klitschko.
However, Mr Firtash, who has in recent days also been linked to Mr Klitschko, states in his biography on the DF Group website that he “is not a member of any political party or movement”.
“They have never given me a line or influenced me. They pay travel costs and accommodation for me to attend the Yalta summit but on each occasion I have met with people from every party. It has been very helpful for me and given me those opportunities,” he said. “I understand Mr Firtash has funded the British Ukrainian Society, as well as Cambridge University and many other good projects. In my view he is funding good work.”
The Firtash Foundation denies it funded the BUS and said it has no relationship with it “beyond occasional discussions relating to culture projects in London”.
He said Mr Firtash “has not attempted to influence me. He has supported a stage trying to strengthen relations between Britain and Ukraine”.
Lord Risby said that the BUS did a “good job” and worked closely with the Foreign Office. “I have never ever had any instruction from Firtash or had anyone ask me to take any political viewpoint,” he said. “I made it clear that we would make a judgement about who we would see and that we would not be subject to any pressure.”
The Firtash Foundation said it has no relationship with the BUS “beyond occasional discussions relating to culture projects in London” It confirmed that the Foundation was “the organiser” of the Days of Ukraine festival and said “the project was financially supported by Group DF”.
Mr Shelter-Jones said Mr Firtash, whom he has worked with for 10 years, was “working hard to do whatever he can to support the interim administration in Ukraine in the current crisis” and categorically said “Mr Firtash has not provided financial support for the BUS”.
Asked if Mr Firtash had been a supporter of President Yanukovych, he said: “Mr Firtash is a businessman, not a politician. As a significant businessman in Ukraine he has worked constructively with the administrations of President Yanukovich as well as those of his predecessors.”
Mr Shetler-Jones said Scythian was providing support to the BUS. But he said that his donations to the Tories had not been at Mr Firtash’s behest or with his knowledge and also rejected the idea that Mr Firtash was indirectly influencing British politics through the BUS. “The BUS is independent and not party political,” he said. “The BUS board worked very closely with John Grogan, the Labour MP, who was the former Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ukraine before John Whittingdale.”
