Tulip Siddiq, a British MP and niece of Sheikh Hasina, has been accused by Bangladeshi authorities of financial irregularities related to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. Her legal team swiftly denied the allegations, asserting they are baseless and part of a targeted campaign against her. Despite claims of her involvement, Siddiq maintains she has no wealth left in Bangladesh and played no role in the allegations.
Tulip Siddiq, a former Labour minister and the niece of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has spoken out against what she describes as a “targeted and baseless” campaign by Bangladeshi authorities. She has called for an immediate cessation of the damaging allegations against her, which relate to purported financial irregularities concerning the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, a project that received assistance from Russia.
Legal representatives for Siddiq have reached out to the Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), requesting an end to these unfounded claims. They maintain her lack of involvement in the nuclear plant deal, despite her presence in a 2013 photograph with Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a signing ceremony, asserting that accompanying heads of state is typical for family members.
The lawyers have also rejected assertions linking a £700,000 flat in King’s Cross, London, gifted to Siddiq in 2004, to embezzlement. They labeled these allegations “absurd,” highlighting that the flat was purchased a decade before the nuclear agreement, dismissing any connection with alleged corruption.
Siddiq’s background includes her father as a university professor in Dhaka and her mother obtaining political asylum in the UK. In January, Siddiq resigned from her position as economic secretary to the Treasury, where she addressed corruption in UK financial markets. Meanwhile, ACC Chairman Mohammad Abdul Momen insisted that the allegations are substantiated by documentary evidence and encouraged Siddiq to legally defend herself.
The controversy was sparked by comments from a Chief Adviser in Bangladesh, indicating potential embezzlement involvement by Siddiq and hinting her possible summons for questioning. These remarks implied that Siddiq retained significant wealth in Bangladesh, which would be scrutinized by the ACC. However, Siddiq’s legal team has strongly refuted these accusations, stating “Siddiq has no wealth left behind in Bangladesh” and decried the charges as part of a slanderous campaign rather than a legitimate inquiry.
In summary, Tulip Siddiq has vehemently denied recent allegations of financial improprieties concerning the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, asserting that they are unfounded and part of a broader smear campaign. Her legal representatives are actively contesting these claims, emphasizing her absence of wealth in Bangladesh and her lack of involvement in any wrongdoing. The ACC’s chairman, however, maintains that investigations are rooted in substantial evidence, complicating the discourse surrounding these allegations.
Original Source: www.newindianexpress.com
