Kemi Badenoch demands dismissal of Tulip Siddiq
Kemi Badenoch has demanded the Prime Minister to fire Treasury Minister Tulip Siddiq. After he was named in the investigation into claims his family embezzled up to £3.9 billion From infrastructure spending in Bangladesh.
This comes after comments by Bangladesh’s new leader Muhammad Yunus. who told the Sunday Times Siddiq is expected to apologize after reports that she lived in London properties with her aunt Sheikh Hasina, who was removed as Bangladesh’s prime minister last year.
In a post on Twitter, the Conservative Party leader said: “It’s time for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiqui,” adding that the PM “appointed his personal friend as anti-corruption minister And he himself is accused of corruption.
Siddiq has referred to himself as a standards adviser to the Prime Minister and insists he has done nothing wrong.
In a letter to Sir Laurie Magnus, who oversees standards among government ministers, he said: “I am clear that I have done nothing wrong.”
Downing Street previously confirmed that Sir Lowry would now carry out a “fact-finding” exercise to determine whether “further action” is needed, including further investigations.
But Siddiq, writing on
“Now the Bangladesh government is raising serious concerns about his links with Sheikh Hasina’s regime,” Badenoch said.
In an interview with the Sunday Times, the Bangladesh leader said that the properties used by Siddiq should be investigated and handed back to his government if they were acquired through “plain robbery”.
Siddiq is the Economic Secretary to the Treasury and is responsible for tackling economic crime, money laundering and illicit finance.
The allegations are part of a broader investigation into Hasina by Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) who was in charge of Bangladesh for more than 20 years, was seen as an autocratic ruler whose government ruthlessly crushed dissent.
Sheikh Hasina has been accused of several crimes by the new Bangladeshi government since fleeing the country.
In his letter to Sir Laurie Magnus following the allegations, Siddiq said: “In recent weeks I have been the subject of media reporting about my financial affairs and my family’s relationship with the former government of Bangladesh, much of which was inaccurate. “
“I am clear that I have done nothing wrong,” she said, “however, for the avoidance of doubt, I would like you to independently establish the facts regarding these matters.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir told reporters he had confidence in his minister, adding that Siddiq had “done the absolute right thing” by referring himself for investigation.
