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Arron Banks being investigated by National Crime Agency over alleged offences during Brexit vote Arron Banks being investigated by National Crime Agency over alleged offences during Brexit vote
(35 minutes later)
Arron Banks and his Leave.EU campaign group are being investigated by the National Crime Agency (NCA) over suspected electoral law offences around the 2016 EU Referendum.Arron Banks and his Leave.EU campaign group are being investigated by the National Crime Agency (NCA) over suspected electoral law offences around the 2016 EU Referendum.
Banks, along with Leave.EU Better for the Country (BFTC) and another senior campaign figure, Elizabeth Bilney, were referred to the NCA, Britain’s equivalent to the FBI, by the Electoral Commission. Banks, along with Leave.EU, Better for the Country (BFTC) and another senior campaign figure, Elizabeth Bilney, were referred to the NCA, Britain’s equivalent to the FBI, by the Electoral Commission.
The NCA said, in a statement: "While electoral law offences would not routinely fall within the NCA’s remit, the nature of the necessary inquiries and the potential for offences to have been committed other than under electoral law lead us to consider an NCA investigation appropriate in this instance. Reuters reported that Banks stated he had received no foreign money, no Russian money and that he was a UK taxpayer. Adding that he welcomed the investigation "as an opportunity to clear up the matter."
READ MORE: Pro-Brexit donor Arron Banks admits meeting Russian ambassador … then briefing US security services
In a statement, The NCA admitted that while electoral crimes are not under their usual remit, they would be investigating due to the "the potential for offences to have been committed other than under electoral law."
"This is now a live investigation, and we are unable to discuss any operational detail.""This is now a live investigation, and we are unable to discuss any operational detail."
In turn, the Electoral Commission released its own statement detailing that they referred the aforementioned groups and individuals following their investigation into the referendum.  In turn, the Electoral Commission released its own statement confirming that they referred the aforementioned groups and individuals, over a £2m loan to BFTC, which ran Leave.EU, by Banks and his group of insurance companies.
Earlier in the year, Banks, alongside former Leave.EU spokesperson Andy Wigmore, were grilled by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee over alleged contact the pair had with Russian officials. 
Their statement read: "The investigation focused on £2m reported to have been loaned to Better for the Country by Arron Banks and his group of insurance companies and a further £6m reported to have been given to the organisation, on behalf of Leave.EU, by Arron Banks alone. If you like this story, share it with a friend!
"£2.9m of this money was used to fund referendum spending on behalf of Leave.EU and donations to other campaign groups during the EU referendum." Subscribe to RT newsletter to get stories the mainstream media won’t tell you.
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