US BUSINESSWOMAN JENNIFER Arcuri, who is under scrutiny for her links to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has said he “never, ever” gave her any favouritism.
The technology entrepreneur and former model was reportedly given £126,000 (€141,240) in public money and privileged access to three foreign trade missions led by Johnson while he was in City Hall.
Arcuri did not confirm whether or not she has had an affair with the British Prime Minister.
“It’s really categorically no one’s business what private life we had or didn’t have and categorically more important, Boris never, ever gave me favouritism,” Arcuri told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
“Never once did I ask him for a favour, never once did he write a letter of recommendation for me.”
She said Johnson had visited her flat a ‘handful’ of times.
“We tried having drinks out in public or having lunch, it just became too much of a mob show, so I said ‘you just have to come to my office’.”
Arcuri said Johnson attended some events she held in the past. She described a Google hangout that involved two events at the same time and how Johnson allegedly contacted her afterwards to say it was ‘the most awesome day’.
“He really understand what a Google Hangout was,” she said.
Last month, the British Prime Minister was referred to the police complaints body to assess whether he should face a criminal investigation over his association with Arcuri.
The Sunday Times reported that the businesswoman confided to four friends that they had been engaged in an affair during his time as mayor.
However, Johnson insisted last week that everything he did when promoting London overseas as mayor was done in “complete conformity with the code and the rules”.
Over the weekend, The Sunday Times also reported that Johnson wrote a letter recommending Arcuri for a job as the head of a technology quango when he was in City Hall.
Leaked emails seen by The Sunday Times suggested Johnson was listed as a reference in her application for the role at Tech City.
Arcuri was said to have been a 27-year-old student at the time of applying for the £100,000 (€112,120) a year job.
“He only knew me as an extremely passionate entrepreneur of the London tech scene,” she said on Good Morning Britain today.
With reporting from Press Association.
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