- Ilma Bogdan, the daughter of Leonard Bogdan, holds a string of roles with Conservative groups in the UK.
- Liam Byrne MP says sources told him Leonard Bogdan "has a definite FSB background".
- Ilma Bogdan told Insider: "My father has no connection to the FSB or politics, ever".
The daughter of a banker allegedly connected with Russia's security service has held a string of roles with Conservative party-affiliated organisations in the UK, allowing her to meet some of the most senior politicians in the country, documents seen by Insider suggest.
Leonard Bogdan was a member of the supervisory board for Tempbank, which was sanctioned by the US in 2014 for its ties to the Syrian and Iranian governments. It was declared bankrupt by the Moscow Commercial Court in 2017, after the central bank revoked its licence.
Bogdan's name has been raised during two recent debates in the House of Commons. In January, Labour MP Liam Byrne said he was "a man with very interesting friends in the FSB and the SVR", as he highlighted Bogdan's links to a Tory donor, Mohamed Amersi. Amersi has rejected those claims.
The FSB and SVR are Russia's security and intelligence agencies, respectively, between them acting as successors to the KGB.
Just a few days later, the former Treasury minister again raised Bogdan in the Commons, telling MPs that sources claim he "has a definite FSB background".
Ilma Leonardovna Bogdan lived at the same address in Russia with Leonard and Natalya Bogdan, according to documents seen by Insider. They were listed as living together on the Larix database, a huge trove of commercially-available data. Ownership of the flat since transferred from Leonard to Ilma.
The Ilma whose name appears in these documents has the same birthday as one registered with Companies House as a director of the road traffic accident charity Roadpeace.
Celebratory posts shared on social media also confirm the date of her birthday, while Ilma's patronymic "Leonardovna" identifies her as being the daughter of Leonard.
Ilma Bogdan now lives in London. The address cited on a recent email sent in her name is owned by Dubai-based, British Virgin Islands-registered, Al Qubaisi Property Holdings, UK Land Registry filings show.
Her LinkedIn page reveals a long list of roles with Tory party affiliates, including the forums officer at the Conservative Women's Organisation, which represents the party's female members, and an executive committee member at the Conservative Foreign and Commonwealth Council. According to CFCC's website, it aims to "provide a forum for discussion of international relations to promote greater understanding and awareness globally, on a not for profit basis".
Bogdan has had stints with the Conservative Friends of India, where she was an executive board member, and Cambridge Conservatives as secretary and vice chair. She studied at Cambridge University, Harvard, SOAS, Kings' College London, and the Moscow State Institute of International Relations.
These roles have afforded Bogdan in-person access to Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ), where she met the Prime Minister's father Stanley Johnson, Health Secretary Sajid Javid, former cabinet minister Malcolm Rifkind and one-time mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey, among others, her social media posts show.
They also show that Bogdan has participated in virtual meetings with Chancellor Rishi Sunak and COP26 President Alok Sharma.
She has also attended the exclusive Carlton Club, founded in the 19th Century as the original home of the party before the days of Conservative Central Office, where she met former US ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson.
Her Instagram posts suggest she was there on so-called Brexit Day, to celebrate the moment the UK formally left the European Union.
Ilma Bogdan confirmed that Leonard was her father, but told Insider "he doesn't have any connection with the FSB whatsoever".
His role at Tempbank was "honorary", she added. "My father has no connection to the FSB or politics ever," she told Insider, noting that the MP who made the claims was a member of "the opposition".
But it is not just figures within Labour who have highlighted her presence within the party: several Conservative figures have spoken to Insider about their concerns.
One source said: "She's an intelligent woman with a lot of degrees, but has little or no discernible employment history [outside the party] in the UK.
"It is puzzling that she dedicates so much of her energies to friends of groups of a... political party that happens to be the party of government.
"She is a graduate of the Moscow State Institute for International Relations, which is run by the Russian Foreign Ministry ... These factors combined raise red flags."
A CWO spokesperson said: "Dr. Bogdan holds a voluntary administrative role with the CWO."
Neither CCHQ, the Conservative Foreign and Commonwealth Council, nor the Conservative Friends of India replied to requests for a comment.
A House of Commons spokesperson said: "We cannot comment on specific security matters".
Byrne said: "It's now vital the Conservative Party gets its house in order and makes sure it's got the right background checks on anyone seeking influence from its mega wealthy Russia-linked donors to its volunteers."
