British minister resigns after being named in Bangladesh corruption probe | News about corruption

Anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq resigned amid questions about her ties to the country’s ousted leader, her aunt Sheikh Hasina.

Britain’s minister responsible for financial services and anti-corruption has resigned after weeks of questions about her financial ties to her aunt Sheikh Hasina, demolished Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

Tulip Siddiq (42) has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last week that he had full confidence in her.

The resignation of the second government minister in two months on Tuesday is a blow to Starmer, whose approval ratings have plummeted since his Labor party won the general election in July.

In a letter to the prime minister, Siddiq reiterated that she had done nothing wrong, but said her continued work in the finance office would likely “disrupt the work of the government”.

Starmer said he accepted her resignation with “sadness”.

He thanked Siddiq for her work and admitted that “no evidence of financial irregularities on your part was found”.

“I appreciate that you have taken the difficult decision to end the continued obstruction of our agenda for changing Britain and I want to make it clear that the door is open to you going forward,” Starmer added.

Siddique was given the financial services policy portfolio after the election, a role that included responsibility for anti-money laundering measures.

Starmer quickly appointed Emma Reynolds, who was the pensions minister, to Siddiq’s role.

Hasina, who has ruled Bangladesh since 2009, is under investigation there on suspicion of corruption and money laundering. Hasina and her party deny guilt.

Siddiq was named in December as part of a Bangladesh investigation into whether her family was involved in siphoning off funds from Bangladeshi infrastructure projects.

The Anti-Corruption Commission has alleged financial irregularities worth billions of dollars in the awarding of a $12.65 billion nuclear power contract, saying Hasina and Siddiq may have benefited.

Siddiq faced further scrutiny over his use of properties in Britain linked to Hasina and her supporters.

Siddiq lived in a property in north London given to her family in 2009 by Moin Ghani, a Bangladeshi lawyer who represented Hasina’s government, documents filed with Companies House and the Land Registry cited by the Reuters news agency showed.

She also bought a separate property in London in 2004 without paying for it from a developer linked to the Awami League, Hasa’s political party, the Financial Times reported this month.

Hasina fled Bangladesh to India when she was ousted after weeks of protests.

Siddiq’s departure follows the resignation of British Transport Secretary Louise Haigh late last year.

Haigh pleaded guilty to a lesser offense before she entered the government in connection with a cellphone she falsely reported stolen.