Tulip Siddiq quizzed over £4bn embezzlement allegation

Tulip Siddiq, a UK Labour Minister and niece of ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has been quizzed by the Cabinet Office propriety and ethics team over an allegation that she and her family members embezzled £4bn(around Tk 60,000 crore) from a power plant project in Bangladesh.

The team questioned her on Sunday (December 22), reports The Telegraph.

Tulip Siddiq, is facing investigation over claims that she and four family members embezzled £4 billion through Roopur Nuke Power Plant Deal in Bangladesh.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has stood by Tulip, who denies the claims and said no authority has contacted her so far about the allegations.

Labour party officials described the claims as “spurious” and made for political reasons by opponents of Hasina.

In October, National Crime Agency (NCA) investigators visited Bangladesh to “support” its anti-corruption probes.

A Tory MP has written to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner asking them to launch a probe into Tulip over the allegations.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Bangladesh decided to start probe the embezzlement allegation against former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, her sister Sheikh Rehana, son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and niece Tulip Siddiq recently following a High Court order.

Tulip Siddiq, 42, the Treasury’s Economic Secretary, is responsible for tackling corruption in UK financial markets.

The Mail on Sunday reported that five investigators are gathering “documentary evidence” related to Tulip and others, and are expected to contact them within weeks for their responses.

The report stated that the ACC would send any correspondence to her through the British High Commission in Dhaka.