(ANSA) – ROME, Sept. 19 – The scandal that overwhelmed the Prince Charles Foundation two weeks ago, suspected of receiving honors for large donations, is widening. And this time, Queen Elizabeth’s eldest son is right in sight. According to the Sunday Times, the king has met “at least nine times” with William Portrick, the broker suspected of receiving thousands of pounds in exchange for honors and titles for Saudi and Russian billionaires.
The scandal had already led to the resignation of Michael Fawcett, one of the prince’s closest aides and former personal aide, as director of the foundation and then president of the same Douglas Connell.
According to the Sunday edition of the conservative newspaper Carlo, he has met Porterrick in England, Scotland and Saudi Arabia over the past seven years. Portrick attended the Prince’s donor dinner at Dumfries House, the royal residence in Ayrshire, and met the Prince at Clarence House, St James’s Palace and Buckingham Palace, as well as the British Embassy in Riyadh. According to the newspaper, a few weeks before this meeting, Portrick brokered a six-figure donation to charity from the Russian banker Dmitry Leos, who is already accused of money laundering at home, in exchange for a meeting with the prince.
On August 5, shortly after the meeting, Porterrick wrote to the Russian: “I have just had an excellent private visit with His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, who appreciates your generosity and has asked me to send you his personal wishes.” It appears that the banker was then invited to two private events at the Carlow Residences in Scotland, which were subsequently canceled due to the Covid pandemic.
Clarence House, the prince’s office, at the invitation of the Guardian, declined to comment. After the director’s resignation he made it clear that Carlo was unaware of the case and had already given all his support to an “independent investigation into the establishment”. (Dealing).
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