and renewable developments. In 2016, Temerko was appointed as a director at Aquind, which mounted a bid that was later rejected to build a $1.4 billion power link between the United Kingdom and France, with power equivalent to 5% or 3% of British and French consumption respectively. Flight to London, criminal prosecution and extradition case Temerko fled to London shortly after he was examined by criminal investigators in October 2004. In May 2005, Russian prosecutors charged Temerko with having stolen shares in the oil company Yeniseineftegaz, forgery, and perverting the course of justice. Russia's bid to have Temerko extradited from the United Kingdom failed as Judge Timothy Workman in December 2005 ruled: "I have come to the conclusion that the motivation for the charges against Mr Temerko are inextricably entwined with the motivation for the prosecution of Mr Khodorkovsky. I therefore find that the prosecution of Mr Temerko is politically motivated and the request for his extradition is made for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing him on account of his political opinions." Temerko himself alleged that the motivation of the Russian state's assault on Yukos was president Vladimir Putin's desire to silence those who challenged him politically. The ruling on his extradition case was in line with a dozen other similar cases of former Yukos employees who absconded to the UK. Views and political activism in the UK Temerko's views on Russia's economy and the Yukos affair were cited by the Financial Times in the late 2000s. He himself contributed articles on the Russian oil industry developments to outlets such as The Observer and The Wall Street Journal. Temerko is a member of, and major donor to, the British Conservative Party where he is a member of the Leader's Group. He also actively supports local Party associations in the North-East England where his company is based and Cities of London & Westminster association where his office and residence are located. He has commented on the impact that developments in politics and business would have on the North-East, in particular regarding the North Sea. Temerko is a member of Carlton Club, a private member's club in London, where he donated a £90,000 bust of David Cameron. Temerko regularly criticizes President Vladimir Putin of Russia and his policies in the media, including over the conflict in Ukraine. During the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Temerko publicly supported the campaign for Scotland to