Rishi Sunak and Nadhim Zahawi appointed billionaire Mohamed Mansour to the role last year.

While Russia continues to wage war against Ukraine and as the UK government continues to impose what it says are crippling sanctions against the Putin regime, its own party treasurer is raking it in from business dealings with the Russian oil industry.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and scandal hit former Tory chair Nadhim Zahawi appointed billionaire Mohamed Mansour, who has both UK and Egyptian citizenship, to the role last year, despite his links to the brutal regime of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Mansour served as Transport Minister under Mubarak. He also co-owns UK-based Unatrac and a subsidiary supplying machinery to Russia’s oil and gas industry. Unatrac has donated £600,000 to the Conservatives and Mr Mansour is said to have pledged £2million to the Tories himself, the Mirror reports.

Unatrac has made millions with its subsidiary Mantrac Vostok by supplying Caterpillar machinery to Russia.

The Private Eye reports that it telephoned Mantrac Vostok’s sales department in Russia last week and ‘asked if business was operating normally, the response was “so-so”.

Sunak has previously urged firms to think ‘very carefully about their investments in Russia and how they may aid the Putin regime’.

In July last year, sanctions on Russia were extended to “large earth-moving equipment used in the mining industry.”

Anneliese Dodds, Labour Party chair, told the Mirror: “Rishi Sunak has appointed a person who has made millions from trading in Russia. This government is drowning in sleaze, making an absolute mockery of Sunak’s promise of professionalism, integrity and accountability at all levels.

“Once again Rishi Sunak is too weak to lead. Will he continue to accept donations from someone trading with Russia, or will he grow a backbone, stop taking the money and cut ties with this individual?”

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

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