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A Government trade advisor and major Conservative Party donor was allegedly caught on tape attempting to “secretly” take a six-figure sum of money that he knew belonged to his business partner and fellow Conservative donor, a court has heard.
David Meller CBE, a prominent Conservative supporter and associate of party grandees Michael Gove and Nadim Zahawi, was last September elevated by Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch to the Board of Trade where he advises the government on economic matters.
Prior to that, at the height of the pandemic, Mr Meller won COVID contracts worth £164 million after being referred to the ‘VIP Lane’ by his long-standing political ally, Gove.
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After being awarded six large PPE contracts the Conservative donor was last year elevated to the prestigious UK Board of Trade by Kemi Badenoch
In another pre-election headache for the Conservative Party, Mr Meller’s “remarkable” business practices – and his credentials to be on the prestigious body – have again come under the spotlight following the emergence of a transcript of a recording in which the businessman asked a director of one of his companies to transfer him £100,000.
This was despite him allegedly appearing to acknowledge the money belonged to Michael Sherwood, a multi-millionaire investment banker with whom Mr Meller has done business for at least 20 years.
According to the transcript, relayed in documents filed in court during a hearing on 7 June, Mr Meller asked John Collins, his fellow director in property investment firm T&P Real Estate, not to inform Mr Sherwood of his unsanctioned request and for the transaction to be kept “secret”.
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David Meller was referred to the ‘VIP Lane’ by his long-term political ally Michael Gove
However, the court was told Mr Collins “refused to facilitate the payment”, stating that “the only money in the company had been invested by Sherwood”.
A transcript of the recording, which Mr Meller does not contest features him, but instead says related to money from another company, was deployed in a case management hearing as part of a litigation action he has brought against T&P Real Estate.
Byline Times has heard the recording in full.
Harry Samuels for T&P Real Estate said: “The transcript shows that Mr Meller approached Mr Collins seeking to extract £100,000 out of [T&P Real Estate], which Mr Meller asked to be kept secret from Mr Sherwood.
“Mr Collins stated that the only money in the company had been invested by Mr. Sherwood, and refused to facilitate such a payment.”
Guy Harper, on behalf of Mr Meller, disagreed that the recording was relevant to the case. He claims that the conversation between Mr Meller and Mr Collins was in relation to a separate company, and not T&P Real Estate.
While court reporting is covered by Qualified Privilege, meaning Byline Times was not required to put the allegations to Mr Meller, we did so as part of our commitment to responsible journalism, via Mr Harper.
Mr Harper said that the “allegations concerning the recording are false and represent a serious misrepresentation of the content of the recording”.
In truth, Mr Harper said, the discussion “did not concern T&P Real Estate Limited”, that Mr Meller “did not ask Mr Collins ‘to keep the transaction secret’, or ‘to not inform Mr Sherwood of his unsanctioned request’”.
