# BBC allegations cost donor a peerage, court hears

> Mohamed Amersi sues the BBC over a Panorama episode alleging his involvement in corruption while working for Swedish telecoms firm Telia.
- Title: BBC allegations cost donor a peerage, court hears | Shortify
- Summary: Mohamed Amersi sues the BBC over a Panorama episode alleging his involvement in corruption while working for Swedish telecoms firm Telia. Conservative and…
- Keywords: mohamed amersi, bbc, defamation trial, panorama, telia, reform uk, conservatives, uzbekistan, corruption allegations, news, world, allegations
- Source: the Guardian — https://theguardian.com/media/2026/oct/28/mohamed-amersi-tory-reform-donor-bbc-defamation-trial
- Published: 2026-10-28T17:15:21+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mohamed amersi, bbc, defamation trial, panorama, telia, reform uk, conservatives, uzbekistan, corruption allegations, news, world
## Donor sues BBC over corruption claims
Mohamed Amersi, who donated £25,000 to Reform UK last year and hundreds of thousands to the Conservatives, is suing the BBC for defamation over allegations of his involvement in corruption.
## Panorama episode and article alleged corrupt deals
A 2021 Panorama episode called Pandora Papers: Political Donors Exposed and a BBC article alleged strong grounds for suspecting Amersi was involved in corrupt deals during his work for Swedish telecoms company Telia.
## Amersi claims scandal cost him honours
Amersi said the publicity forced him to step aside from educational philanthropy and claimed the scandal cost him a knighthood and a peerage. He was also debanked by Union Bancaire Privée of Switzerland.

> scandal cost me a knighthood and a peerage
## BBC case centres on Uzbekistan payment
The BBC's reporting focused on Amersi's work as adviser to Telia in Uzbekistan and a payment of two hundred twenty million dollars made in January two thousand ten to a Gibraltar company called Takilant.
## BBC claims Karimova owned Takilant
The BBC alleged the real beneficial owner of Takilant was Gulnara Karimova, eldest daughter of Uzbekistan's president, who had influence over the telecoms regulator. Amersi's barrister said he neither knew nor suspected this.
## Amersi disputes BBC's evidence
Amersi claims the BBC relied on untested hearsay from Telia's admissions to the US Department of Justice in two thousand seventeen.
## Amersi to give evidence in November
Amersi is seeking damages including aggravated damages and an injunction to prevent further publication of the statements he argues are defamatory. He will give evidence for six days from November eleventh.
## Key takeaway

Conservative and Reform UK donor Mohamed Amersi is suing the BBC for defamation over a 2021 Panorama episode and article claiming he was involved in corrupt deals at Swedish telecoms company Telia.