Investigators targeting organised crime were today urged to carry out a probe into Brexit campaigner Arron Banks “as quickly as possible” amid concerns that their findings may come after Britain quits the EU.
Senior MP Damian Collins claimed a TV grilling of Mr Banks had exposed a “discrepancy” in his account of how he sourced £8 million of funding to the Leave campaign.
However, the Electoral Commission referred the matter to the National Crime Agency, which investigates organised crime, amid suspicions the cash was not a permissible donation.
Yesterday, businessman Mr Banks, a co-founder of the Leave.EU campaign, told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show that all the money came from a UK-registered company, Rock Services.
He repeated claims that he was being targeted by Remain-supporting politicians.
But Tory MP Mr Collins, chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport committee, said this conflicted with Mr Banks’s earlier evidence to his committee.
“It is a discrepancy ... what he told us was Rock Services really just provides services to other companies that he owns — provides cash, makes payments. It doesn’t make any money itself,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“For Rock Services to have money to give to Leave.EU or anyone else, that money has got to have been put in that bank account by another company or another individual.
"If Rock Services made the donation, where did the money come from? ... No matter how many times he was asked that question, he didn’t answer it.”
Mr Collins rejected suggestions that Brexit should be put on hold.
Questions over the referendum result could be raised only if misconduct was “proven to be true as a consequence of the investigation”, he said.
“If there had been a massive breach of the law, that would be a huge concern and we would have to reflect on that and at that point.”
He said the NCA could examine all the records of Mr Banks’s firms, including in areas like the Isle of Man. “I want this to be done as quickly as possible,” he added.
The Electoral Commission focused on £2 million reported to have been loaned to Better For The Country (BFTC) by Mr Banks and his companies, and a £6 million gift he made alone
The commission said it had “reasonable grounds” to suspect Mr Banks was not the true source of the £8 million.
It also believes that loans to BFTC, on behalf of Leave.EU, involved a non-qualifying or impermissible company — Rock Holdings Limited, incorporated in the Isle of Man.
The NCA launched an investigation into BFTC, Leave.EU, Mr Banks, Leave.EU chief executive Elizabeth Bilney and other individuals. They deny wrongdoing.
