Lebanese billionaire paid Fillon to meet Putin: French media

A Lebanese billionaire and former Tory Party donor paid $50,000 to beleaguered French conservative presidential candidate Francois Fillon for access to Russian President Vladimir Putin, French media reported on Wednesday.

Fouad Makhzoumi, the CEO of Future Pipe Industries, was also connected to an arms scandal in the 1990s, which indirectly led to Conservative politician Jonathan Aitken being jailed for perjury.

In 2009, the UK branch of Makhzoumi's company donated £100,000 to the Tory party, and his wife May Makhzoumi donated more than £1m between 2010 and 2013.

Fillon is already under investigation for claims he hired his wife as a parliamentary aide, using public money, and that she did no work in return.

The third favourite for president, behind far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron, has denied any wrongdoing.

The French media reported that Fillon introduced Makhzoumi and Putin during an economic forum in St Petersburg in 2015, while the Lebanese businessman was a client of Fillon's consultancy business, which he established in 2012.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the report, saying: "It is what in English we call 'fake news'."

In 2004, Makhzoumi established a political party, the National Dialogue Party, which has no seats in parliament.

Future Pipe Industries manufactures and sells fibreglass pipes, for the transport of oil, water and gas.

The company also has a charitable wing, the Makhzoumi Foundation.

Makhzoumi has been contacted for comment.