Tory donor and Vladimir Putin associate facing forgery charges in Luxembourg

Former Formula One team boss Gerard Lopez, who gave 400,000 to Conservatives, has been charged after investigation

A Tory donor who has been described as a friend of Vladimir Putin, and who donated 400,000 to the party before the Brexit referendum, is facing charges of forgery in Luxembourg.

Gerard Lopez, 50, who chaired the Lotus Formula One team in the UK, donated to the Tories in April 2016, two months before the referendum. He has denied the charges.