Short seller issues fresh warning to Labour MP after suggesting Kremlin links
Labour MP Liam Byrne has come under fresh pressure from City short seller Fraser Perring today after failing to cough up evidence for his suggestion Perring and his firm Viceroy Research were acting on behalf of the Russian state.
A major war of words has erupted between the pair after Byrne claimed in a house of commons debate that Perring was “not an infrequent visitor to Moscow” and said “we must ensure that short-selling groups are not another weapon in Putin’s arsenal”. Byrne called for an investigation into the firm’s activities.
The allegations have triggered a furious response from Perring, who has accused Byrne of abusing parliamentary privilege and demanded today that he retract the claims.
In a new letter to Byrne seen by City PM, lawyers for Perring said the MP was “fed these lies by individuals who have their own commercial reasons to attack our client”, and set a deadline of next Tuesday to retract the claims.
“It should be obvious to you by now that he will not rest until you have withdrawn your statements about him and acknowledged their falsity,” Perring’s lawyers said.
Perring also wrote to Labour whip Lilian Greenwood yesterday and warned he will “be reminding many Labour constituents of the type of conduct Labour permits and accepts” if Byrne does not retract his statement.
The new letters mark an escalation in the war of words between the two since Byrne first levelled his claims. Byrne did not respond to a request for comment.
Viceroy built its reputation by becoming one of the first movers against now-collapsed Germany payments firm Wirecard.
The firm also sounded the alarm on the financial mismanagement at social housing firm Home REIT, which has since been forced to suspend its shares as internal investigations dig into a whole host of issues that have since come to light.