Norwich Union (NU) became embroiled in the Keith Vaz story this week when it emerged that the Europe minister had used his premises in the Foreign Office to host a meeting between the insurer and an Asian restaurateur, Amin Ali.
At the meeting, a dispute over a £175,000 claim lodged by Ali following a fire in the kitchen of his London restaurant Red Fort was resolved. Use of ministerial offices for such meetings was said to be “exceptional”.
Ali is not one of Vaz's constituents, but is known to have donated money to the Labour Party.
NU declined to discuss the case. A spokeswoman said: “We are not making any comment at all on this case because of client confidentiality.”
The speedy resolution of the insurance claim follows on from reports of Vaz's support for the passport applications
of the billionaire Hinduja brothers, the affair that led to Northern Ireland Minister Peter Mandelson's spectacular resignation.
Other allegations that have recently surfaced include donations to Vaz's local party in Leicester that were declared in the register of MP's interests, but supposedly not received by the party.
Questions have also been asked about Vaz's finances after it was revealed that he put in an offer for a £900,000 townhouse in Pimlico, London.
