UK’s Labour’s anti-corruption minister has been named in court documents detailing claims her family embezzled billions of pounds from a nuclear power project in Bangladesh.
Economic secretary Tulip Siddiq – who holds responsibility for financial crime and illicit finance – is alleged to have helped co-ordinate meetings with the Russian government regarding the Rooppur nuclear power plant project.
In a court writ, submitted to the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, Ms Siddiq is named alongside her aunt, the former prime minister of Bangladesh Shaikh Hasina. Ms Siddiq is the granddaughter of controversial politician Sheikh Mujib and her Aunt Hasina is the daughter of Sheikh Mujib was Ex PM of Bangladesh.
The documents cite an online news report from August and suggest Ms Siddiq received embezzled funds that came from the artificial inflation of construction costs of the power plant – which was mainly funded by the Russian government.
It’s alleged that $5bn (£3.9bn) was siphoned off from the project’s budget “in collusion with Russian officials”.
Ms Siddiq has been approached for a response about the case, which the Tories claimed was “the latest stain on Keir Starmer’s judgement”.
Shadow Home Office minister Matt Vickers said it was time for Sir Keir’s “anti-corruption minister” to “come clean”
The Labour Party and the government declined to comment.
