UK's Anti-Corruption Minister Tulip Siddiq Faces Investigation Over Corruption Allegations

UK's Anti-Corruption Minister Tulip Siddiq Faces Investigation Over Corruption Allegations

London: Tulip Siddiq, the Economic Secretary of the UK Treasury and Anti-Corruption Minister, has requested an investigation by the British government's ethics watchdog regarding allegations against her.

Recent media reports have stated that Tulip Siddiq has been residing in properties linked to her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, in London. Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, was ousted in August 2024 through a popular uprising.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday, "Minister Tulip Siddiq has acted entirely appropriately and has voluntarily referred herself to the ethics watchdog."

Last month, a corruption investigation in Bangladesh implicated Sheikh Hasina and her family in a 2013 nuclear power plant project with Russia. The allegations claim that large sums of money were embezzled in the project.

Additional allegations have surfaced against Tulip Siddiq, stating that she used two flats in London linked to individuals associated with the Bangladesh Awami League. Sheikh Hasina, who served as the longest-serving Prime Minister of Bangladesh, was ousted in a popular movement in 2024. The movement led to hundreds of protesters being killed and thousands injured.

Currently, cases are ongoing against Hasina in India, including charges related to the deaths and crimes against humanity during the movement.

In her letter, Tulip Siddiq stated, "To clarify the situation and dispel doubts, I want an impartial investigation to uncover the truth."

Tulip Siddiq, who was elected as the Member of Parliament for North London in 2015, is a close ally of Prime Minister Starmer. However, due to these allegations, she will remain in the UK instead of accompanying a government delegation to China.