Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
White House: Trump called on al-Sharaa to "tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria, deport Palestinian terrorists, help US prevent resurgence of ISIS, assume responsibility for ISIS detention centers in northeast Syria."
White House says Trump called on Al-Sharaa to join normalization accords with "Israel".
Israeli media, citing officials: Despite the Israeli plea, Donald Trump announced lifting sanctions on Syria
Anadolu: Turkish President Erdogan, US President Trump, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, and Syria's Sharaa hold online meeting.
YAF spokesperson Yahya Saree: Missile on Lod [Ben Gurion] airport is third in less than 24 hours, it achieved its target successfully.
YAF spokesperson: YAF's Missile Force targeted Ben Gurion airport with hypersonic missile.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: 60 martyrs in Israeli strikes on six homes in Gaza since this morning.
IOF says missile launched from Yemen toward "Israel", air defense systems currently working to intercept it.
Macron says Israeli PM's measures on Gaza 'unacceptable' and 'shameful'
Yemeni Armed Forces: Companies that have not announced the suspension of their flights should follow in the footsteps of those who did, suspending flights to airports in occupied Palestine

Major Tory donor investigated over fraud and money laundering

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 21 May 2023 16:20
4 Min Read

A prominent Tory contributor who has given the party more than £220,000 is being looked into on suspicion of fraud and money laundering.

  • x
  • Major Tory donor investigated over fraud and money laundering
    Major Tory donor, Karan Chanana, at a press conference for Amira in Dubai. February 26, 2013. (Social Media)

A major Tory contributor who has given the party more than £220,000 is being investigated on suspicion of fraud and money laundering.

The CEO of the global rice brand Amira, Karan Chanana, is being probed in India on suspicion of illegally diverting tens of millions of pounds in bank loans through shell businesses. Chanana has yet to reply to the allegations.

The charges come as the UK government faces increasing pressure to tighten foreign donation restrictions and strengthen due diligence inspections. The Conservatives are under pressure this weekend to suspend the money given by Chanana pending an investigation.

The enforcement directorate in India, which is part of the finance ministry, claimed on May 2 that it conducted searches at 21 addresses in India linked to Chanana, the Indian company Amira Pure Foods, and other parties.

According to the directorate, about £100,000 in Indian currency was seized during the searches, which were carried out by India's Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Till now, no charges have been brought against him.

Read next: Britain has moved on from judging people for being rich: Sunak

The enforcement directorate said in a statement that "investigations revealed that the accused entities, in connivance with each other, as well as other related/unrelated entities, have illegally diverted loan funds sanctioned by the consortium of banks by way of transferring loan funds into the accounts of various shell entities under the guise of genuine business transactions."

“It was also known that Karan A Chanana had donated to a political party of [the] United Kingdom since 2019 … while the accused entity had itself defaulted on repayment loans.”

Related News

Brazil's Bolsonaro indicted for money laundering, Saudi diamonds

Germany shuts down billions-worth cryptocurrency laundering server

Chanana, 50, has been credited with transforming a family business into a global conglomerate. In October 2012, his company Amira Nature Foods was launched on the New York Stock Exchange, specializing in Indian basmati rice farmed in the Himalayan foothills.

Its chairman and CEO, Chanana, ran the corporation from its headquarters in Dubai's 35-story Gold Tower, while its legal company registration was in the British Virgin Islands. According to corporate papers, its subsidiaries included Amira Pure Foods in India, which is presently under investigation, and Amira G Foods in the United Kingdom.

Read next: In UK local elections 2023, Sunak took a double pounding

Between September 2019 and December 2021, Amira G Foods, managed by Chanana, gave £222,104 to the Conservative Party. The current filings for the UK company indicate net liabilities of £5.96m, with financial support provided by its parent company in the British Virgin Islands.

Amira Nature Foods was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange in August 2020 after failing to meet financial reporting deadlines.

In November 2020, a consortium of banks led by India's Canara Bank filed an informal complaint with India's Central Bureau of Investigation alleging bank fraud.

It accused Amira Pure Foods, Chanana, and his colleague's directors of "wrongfully and dishonestly" moving loans into "paper companies" between 2009 and 2018, resulting in more than £116 million in unjust bank losses. Amira Pure Foods is currently in liquidation in India.

According to the enforcement directorate, the investigation was launched based on the information report filed by the banks. It claims it is conducting additional investigations and did not reply to a request for comment last week.

Labour MP and chair of the all-party group on anti-corruption and responsible taxation, Margaret Hodge, said the Conservative Party should now determine the source of Amira's donations and hold the monies until the investigations are concluded.

Read next: Tough budget plan awaits the UK; tax hikes, spending cuts: Hunt

  • Money laundering
  • India
  • Tory
  • Karan Chanana
  • United Kingdom

Most Read

Trump cut off contact with Netanyahu, senior Israeli official says

Trump cut off contact with Netanyahu: Israeli media

  • US & Canada
  • 9 May 2025
Saree

Yemeni Armed Forces target key Israeli sites, USS Truman

  • MENA
  • 7 May 2025
A boy draped in a Palestinian flag carries a mock rocket during a weekly anti-US and anti-Israeli rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, May 9, 2025 (AP)

Yemen announces hypersonic missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport

  • Politics
  • 9 May 2025
President Donald Trump, left, greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Monday, April 7, 2025, in Washington (AP)

US pressures 'Israel' for Gaza deal; Witkoff's Israeli rebuke leaked

  • US & Canada
  • 9 May 2025

Coverage

All
Gaza prevails against genocide

Read Next

All
Labour Party leader Keir Starmer with his wife Victoria make their way through supporters as they arrive at the count for the Holborn and St Pancras Parliamentary constituency where the Starmer is standing for election, in London, Friday, July 5, 2024 (AP)
Politics

UK Labour MPs urge government to recognize Palestine

Israeli exodus: 60,000 Israelis fled last year without return
Politics

Israeli exodus: 60,000 settlers fled last year on one-way tickets

Hollywood actors condemn Gaza violence days before Cannes Festival
Arts and Culture

350+ Hollywood actors condemn Gaza genocide ahead of Cannes Festival

Likud minister calls Trump as ‘unpredictable,’ unreliable
Palestine

Likud minister rebukes Trump, calls him 'unpredictable', unreliable

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS