UNITED KINGDOM: A high-profile British parliamentarian has told the British Parliament the head of short-selling group Viceroy Research and its leader Fraser John Perring has links with the Russian state and President Putin.
Labour MP Liam Byrne spoke in a debate in the parliament during the Business Question time. The Labour MP said the issue of Russian links of Viceroy Research and its leader Fraser Perring was serious in nature and that there should be a proper debate in the parliament.
Addressing his questions to Tom Tugendhat MBE, the Minister for Security, the Labour MP said a debate in the parliament was necessary “on the activities of short-selling attack group Viceroy Research and its leader Fraser Perring”. Liam Byrne said he has been told that Viceroy Research “works hand in glove with Boatman Capital, which launched the short-selling attack on Babcock International while it was overhauling our nuclear submarines”.
Liam Byrne raised questions about visits of Fraser Perring to Russia on a frequent basis. He said: “Mr John Fraser Perring is a not infrequent visitor to Moscow, and is now targeting Home REIT, which provides homelessness services, including to homeless veterans. We must ensure that short-selling groups are not another weapon in Putin’s arsenal. Where there are links between short-selling attack groups and the Kremlins, we need to know.”
Viceroy’s methods and ethics have long been called into question over several years. They have been the subject of allegations of plagiarism in the past and successfully sued for fake and defamatory statements. Commissioned by Business Leadership South Africa, Intellidex had reported that Viceroy’s Steinhoff report was substantially plagiarised from a report produced by hedge fund Portsea Asset Management.