Revealed: Spy agency’s secret intercourse file on former Tory MP Charlotte Leslie | EUROtoday

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Concerns about politicians’ safety have intensified after particulars emerged of a intercourse smear in opposition to a feminine ex-MP recorded by a non-public intelligence company.

The Independent can reveal {that a} secret file held by prime non-public spies agency K2 falsely accused ex-Tory MP Charlotte Leslie of finishing up a “sting on six former lovers” to get “money and political support” from them.

K2 additionally saved details about Conservative grandee Lord Nicholas Soames, grandson of Second World War chief Winston Churchill.

Included within the 50,000-page file was an aerial {photograph} of Ms Leslie’s dwelling, her deal with, intimate particulars of her love life, medical historical past and mortgage, in addition to private particulars together with names and addresses of her accomplice, aged mother and father and different members of the family.

Speaking to The Independentthe previous Bristol MP stated she was “disgusted” by the claims which she described as “clearly part of an orchestrated smear campaign” to defame her. There isn’t any suggestion of wrongdoing by K2.

“The K2 files are a tissue of lies and smears,” she stated. “To say I carried out a sting on ex-lovers to extract money is to accuse me of criminal conduct.

“To dig into my partner’s and family’s personal circumstances, addresses and work – and even our dog – is despicable and alarming. At a time when there is great concern about the threat to politicians’ safety, it is beyond belief that this kind of thing goes on.”

Ms Leslie and Lord Soames – given espionage-style codenames of “Lady” and ‘Knight” – have both been involved in a bitter row with Tory donor Mohamed Amersi.

Telecoms tycoon Mr Amersi was branded a “shady fixer for corrupt politicians” by former cabinet minister Sir David Davis in parliament on Wednesday.

Mr Amersi denied any wrongdoing and invited Sir David to repeat the claims outside the Commons chamber, where he would not have legal immunity.

A legal dispute between Ms Leslie and Mr Amersi arose after she blocked the donor’s bid to take over a Tory group which promotes the occasion’s Middle East pursuits.

The group is led by Lord Soames who despatched a memo about Mr Amersi’s Russian enterprise hyperlinks, compiled by Ms Leslie, to Conservative HQ in 2021.

The controversial file held by world large K2 – seen by The Independent – describes Ms Leslie as “flirty… a chancer… likes expensive hotel freebies”.

It provides that she is a “compromised figure” who will get money from oil-rich states to “keep their influence over the UK”.

The file comprises images and the situation of the unique Ritz-Carlton villas in Bahrain the place it falsely says Ms Leslie stayed in 2016 whereas on a political journey.

And it implies she didn’t inform the reality when she denied agreeing to look on the Celebrity Big Brother TV actuality present, stating: “Lady issued a partial denial… leaving open the possibility that she had talks with the producers.”

In reality Ms Leslie, who labored as a “Baywatch” lifeguard in her 20s, says she rejected the supply outright.

The non-public brokers even spied on her pet schnauzer canine, Toby, claiming it was very important proof of her relationship along with her accomplice. The file comprises two pictures of Toby, who was concerned in a separate alleged risk to Ms Leslie within the Amersi row three years in the past.

In addition, the file questions remarks made by Middle East professional Lord Soames, a member of the privy council and former defence minister, after a visit to Syria.

The revelation in regards to the existence of the file follows new measures this week to safeguard politicians. Three girls MPs have been given bodyguards and chauffeur-driven automobiles over issues about their security.

The Home Office introduced a £31m bundle to spice up MPs’ safety following protests linked to the Israel-Hamas battle.

And Rishi Sunak referred to as on police to do extra to protect MPs at dwelling, whereas warning that “democracy itself was a target” at a unexpectedly organised press convention in Downing Street on Friday night time.

On studying of the K2 file, Ms Leslie sought recommendation from Metropolitan Police anti-terrorism officers who informed her how you can enhance her safety.

Mr Amersi, along with Russian-born accomplice Nadia, has given £750,000 to the Conservatives since 2017. He has given an extra £1m to King Charles’ favorite charitable causes, which led to him eating with the then inheritor to the throne. The philanthropist has defended his donations as “access to capitalism”.

He is referred to on the prime of the K2 recordsdata, which state: “Parties, Mohamed Amersi v Charlotte Leslie.”

Beneath Mr Amersi’s title, his legal professionals are named as Carter-Ruck. Mr Amersi informed The Independent he didn’t ask K2 to research Ms Leslie. “I had nothing to do with it at all, I have no idea where it came from,” he stated.

Asked if Carter-Ruck commissioned K2, Nigel Tait, the legislation agency’s managing accomplice, stated: “No, we never instructed them.”

The recordsdata begin in 2021, the 12 months Mr Amersi started a libel battle in opposition to Ms Leslie which was thrown out by the High Court final 12 months.

An extraordinary K2 inside electronic mail dated 5 August 2021 says of Ms Leslie: “Playing the flirty Oxford graduate. Potential sources… said he [the individual is not named] had the names of six former lovers of Leslie who were victims of sting operations she had carried out on them. He said what she gets from them is money and political support.”

The id of the “he” searching for the data is just not given, or is redacted.

Another word information that she cut up from a former accomplice “while she was in hospital with complications” following surgical procedure. K2 brokers seem like beneath orders to search for any damaging details about Ms Leslie.

“Search for evidence of her staying/partying in private villa in Bahrain prior to making positive statements about its human rights record in Parliament?” state the recordsdata.

She is a “compromised figure… a mediocrity. How much of a chancer is she?” says a word dated August 13 2021. An undated file asks: “Has the Lady done anything outside CMEC [the Conservative Middle East group that Mr Amersi wanted to take over] which evidences misconduct?”

One entry says: “Look at that Saudi trip she took, paid for by a benefactor in Riyadh.” Another provides: “Look into this more.’”

Another file says that in 2014 Ms Leslie was “forced to apologise for failing to declare £17,000 in donations. She blamed her dyslexia and was cleared of any wrongdoing”.

The intensive file additionally information that earlier than her dispute with Mr Amersi, Ms Leslie was the topic of two unrelated threats to her and her household.

It recollects that in 2015 anarchists attacked her mother and father’ home in Bristol, the place the then MP lived at weekends. It additionally notes that in the identical 12 months a Muslim convert was jailed for threatening Ms Leslie after a Commons vote on the Middle East.

Among the more odd entries within the K2 recordsdata is a forensic report on Ms Leslie’s canine Toby, which she shares with accomplice Andy.

It says: “Since 2020 Lady has posted pictures of her walking and cuddling a white dog. A very similar-looking dog features as her partner’s Twitter profile picture.”

The file duly contains two images of Toby. In 2021, shortly after Ms Leslie’s row with Mr Amersi erupted, Toby was on the centre of a separate incident.

Ms Leslie claimed she felt threatened in a sequence of telephone calls from a Tory adviser, Carl Hunter, who supplied to mediate between her and Mr Amersi and in certainly one of his calls talked about her canine.

Urging her to again down within the dispute, ex-army officer Mr Hunter informed her: “You need to consider your position, as in being able to walk the dog at night and being able to sleep well at night. You are in the eye of the storm here and it’s you they seem to be after. You’re looking into a world of pain on this. It’s a volcano and he feels he’s got his armoured divisions ready to deploy.”

Mr Hunter denied threatening her and stated he was sorry if his “genuine attempt to find a compromise had been misinterpreted”. Mr Amersi stated he had nothing to do with Mr Hunter’s telephone name.

The Independent contacted K2 for remark. Asked in regards to the file, a K2 spokesperson informed Channel 4 TV final week: “K2’s work was limited to public information only and no discussions were conducted with external sources including associates of Ms Leslie.

“The comments relating to her were made during the course of initial briefings to K2 employees and not source enquiries.”

The controversy over Mr Amersi has been reignited by a brand new ebook, Cuckoolandby investigative journalist Tom Burgis, which explores the Tory donor’s enterprise dealings in Russia and his feud with Ms Leslie.

Sir David has accused Mr Amersi’s legal professionals in parliament of committing “perjury” of their defence of him – an allegation denied by Carter-Ruck.

When Mr Justice Nicklin dismissed Mr Amersi’s libel case final 12 months he challenged the “exorbitant” sum he had spent pursuing Ms Leslie in court docket and stated taking repeated authorized motion in opposition to a person may quantity to “abusive conduct”. Lord Soames declined to remark.