How much did Tory donor know about money-laundering?

 The BBC is clearly very sure of its ground in naming top businessman Javed Marandi as a person of interest in a current investigation into money-laundering. 

Mr Marandi, 55, was born in Iran and grew up in London, where he still lives.

His ties to the Conservative Party emerged through reports of his generous donations. Between 2014 and 2020, he gave £633,800 according to Electoral Commission records.

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He owns the iconic design brand, The Conran Shop, a stake in Anya Hindmarch Ltd, the luxury handbag firm, and an exclusive private members' club and hotel in Oxfordshire.

Along with his wife, he heads the Marandi Foundation, which funds the Prince and Princess of Wales's charity.

In 2021, Mr Marandi became a special adviser to homelessness charity Centrepoint, providing guidance on how it could expand its work with disadvantaged young people.

None of Mr Marandi's UK businesses or these organisations form any part of the NCA's investigation, which looked at earlier events.

The Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed how $2.9bn (£2.3bn) of dirty money - cash stolen from Azerbaijan's people and economy - had been spirited away by members of the country's elite. It was largely for their own benefit, but also to bribe European politicians.

Money route

According to documents from the NCA's case at Westminster Magistrates' Court, the suspect money that made its way to the Feyziyev family accounts in London had originated in bank accounts belonging to a company with neither employees, nor traceable records of its activities.Based in Baku, Azerbaijan's capital, Baktelekom looked like a state-owned firm that has an almost identical name.

District Judge John Zani found that "substantial funds from this criminal enterprise" were then moved into two bank accounts in the Baltics belonging to Glasgow-registered shell companies.

Some of the cash was then moved onwards to accounts linked to Javanshir Feyziyev and Javad Marandi, according to the NCA.

There are more details in the BBC report.