Former Labour Minister Tulip Siddiq has strongly rejected allegations of corruption, accusing Bangladeshi authorities of conducting a "targeted and baseless" campaign against her. In a letter to Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), her legal team described the corruption claims as "false and vexatious," stating that these allegations had never been formally presented to her by investigators, even though they had been made public through media briefings.
Siddiq, who resigned from her position as economic secretary to the Treasury in January, a role in which she was responsible for overseeing corruption in the UK’s financial markets, emphasized at the time that she had done nothing wrong. She explained her resignation was a step to avoid being a "distraction" to the government. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, a close friend of Siddiq and the representative for a neighboring constituency, expressed his support in a letter accepting her resignation, stating that "the door remains open" for her potential return.
Upon the emergence of corruption allegations in January, Siddiq referred herself to the Prime Minister’s ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus. Sir Laurie’s report concluded that no evidence of impropriety was found. However, he noted it was "regrettable" that Siddiq had not been more cautious regarding the "potential reputational risks" associated with her familial ties to her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and leader of the Awami League party.
The ACC is investigating claims that Sheikh Hasina and her family embezzled up to £3.9 billion from infrastructure funds in Bangladesh. The investigation stems from accusations made by Bobby Hajjaj, a political rival of Hasina. Court documents obtained by the BBC show that Hajjaj has accused Siddiq of assisting in brokering a deal with Russia in 2013 that inflated the price of a new nuclear power plant in Bangladesh.
In response, Siddiq's legal team at Stephenson Harwood reiterated her denial of involvement in the nuclear deal. They pointed out that although she was photographed at a signing ceremony in the Kremlin in 2013 alongside Sheikh Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin, she was simply accompanying heads of state on a state visit, which is a common practice. Furthermore, they dismissed claims that a £700,000 flat in King’s Cross, London, given to Siddiq in 2004, was the result of embezzlement, stating that such claims were "absurd" and "cannot be true," as the flat was gifted a decade before the nuclear deal.
Sir Laurie Magnus had noted in his investigation that Siddiq had initially been unaware of the origins of her King’s Cross flat, although she had signed a Land Registry transfer form when receiving it as a gift. He explained that she had believed her parents had purchased the property for her, but corrected the record when she became a government minister. This misunderstanding led to a "misleading" impression about the identity of the gift's donor, an error which Siddiq later clarified.
Siddiq’s lawyers have confirmed that the flat was given to her by Abdul Motalif, a close family friend and Iman, who is considered akin to a godfather figure to Siddiq. The letter also addressed media briefings from the ACC alleging Siddiq’s involvement in land appropriation in Dhaka, calling these actions an "unacceptable attempt to interfere with UK politics."
The lawyers demanded that the ACC cease making "false and vexatious" claims against Siddiq and discontinue public statements intended to damage her reputation. They also insisted that any legitimate questions be directed to Siddiq by March 25, 2025, or they would consider the matter closed.
In a response, the ACC's spokesperson claimed that Siddiq had spent much of her adult life residing in properties owned by associates of the Awami League, suggesting this as evidence of her benefiting from the party’s corruption. The ACC also questioned the credibility of Siddiq's claims of being unaware of the nature of the Hasina regime. The ACC’s chairman, Mohammad Abdul Momen, told The Times that all allegations against Siddiq would be proven in court, including in the United Kingdom.
Source; theghanareport
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