Boris Johnson had a meeting with Russian-born pal Lord Lebedev the day after the media tycoon’s ex-KGB dad was hit by war sanctions in Canada.
Since then former spy chief Alexander Lebedev, 62, has faced no such crackdown from British authorities.
The rendezvous between the then PM and Evening Standard owner Lord Lebedev last May is said to have been a non-official ‘social meeting’.
But the day after it took place Lord Lebedev’s father quit as director of Independent Print Ltd, his only listed UK directorship.
The firm provides services for his son’s newspaper.
When the May meeting took place, Mr Johnson was already under pressure over claims he overruled Lords authorities to get his friend a seat.
And in July it emerged Mr Johnson had met Mr Lebedev Snr while Foreign Secretary in 2018 after the Salisbury poisonings.
Mr Johnson insisted the meeting – at his pal’s home in Italy – was social with no need for security staff.
The Sunday Mirror understands no officials were at the May meeting with Lord Lebedev. A No10 official insisted it was a social meeting.
Labour MP Liam Byrne said it was “essential” Mr Johnson “confesses what he’s blabbed to the son of ex-Russian spy charged by our Five Eyes partner Canada as someone who’s enabled Putin’s war.
“Days later, it looks like Mr Lebedev started shifting assets out of his own name – classic behaviour of oligarchs fearing sanctions. We need to know if Mr Johnson was basically enabling potential sanctions evasion.”
Mr Lebedev Snr was one of 14 figures sanctioned by Canada as a “close associates” of Putin’s regime.”
Last month, a report by think-tank the International Center for Policy Studies (ICPS) said there were “compelling” reasons for Alexander Lebedev to face UK sanctions.
Mr Johnson’s spokesman declined to comment on the May meeting. Earlier this year, Lord Lebedev said: “I have nothing to hide.” And after being sanctioned Mr Lebedev Snr. said of Russia; “I have been an opposition figure for a decade.”
