The former Labour Treasury minister who resigned after being linked to a corruption scandal has accused Bangladeshi authorities of making “false and vexatious” claims in a “targeted and baseless” campaign against her.
Tulip Siddiq left Government in January amid scrutiny over her links to her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who is Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister.
Bangladesh’s opposition politicians called for the Hampstead and Highgate MP to be extradited to answer questions about her alleged role in a nuclear power plant deal with Russia and accusations of money laundering.
In her first significant response since her resignation Ms Siddiq, who has always denied any wrongdoing, on Wednesday questioned why the Bangladeshi government had repeatedly briefed UK media but had not put any allegations to her directly.
In a letter to the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) , which is examining claims that Ms Hasina and her family misappropriated billions of pounds of state money, her lawyers accused the organisation of an “on-going targeted and baseless campaign”.
The ACC said it is also investigating whether Ms Siddiq’s £700,000 London flat was purchased with embezzled funds, a claim Ms Siddiq’s lawyers branded “absurd”.
“At no point have any allegations against Ms Siddiq been put to her fairly, properly and transparently, or indeed at all, by the ACC, or anyone else with proper authority on behalf of the Bangladesh government,” the letter reads.
“Instead, the media has been used repeatedly as a vehicle to publish allegations against Ms Siddiq that have no truth.”
It adds: “There is no case for Ms Siddiq to answer, yet alone one that requires her to come to Bangladesh and assist with investigations in person.
“Second, the process the Chief Adviser appears to have in mind is not a legitimate process for investigating and establishing facts, but instead appears to be one designed to create further publicity.
“Third, the ACC does not appear to be taking matters seriously. If it was, it would have been obvious to it that the allegations made against our client have no merit at all, as we explain below.
“Fourth, Ms Siddiq is clear that she does not ‘have wealth left behind’ in Bangladesh and no evidence has been provided to support this or indeed any of the allegations. To be clear, the allegations that have been made against Ms Siddiq are simply false.”
Ms Siddiq referred herself to the Prime Minister’s ethics tsar in early January after it was revealed she had lived in London homes linked to political allies of her aunt, who had ruled Bangladesh as leader of the Awami League party with an iron fist from 1996.
Sir Keir Starmer had faced mounting pressure to sack his MP, who was the minister in charge of anti-corruption, amid the independent investigation into her conduct.
But although she was found not to have breached the ministerial code, Ms Siddiq resigned saying it was clear that her remaining in post would be “a distraction from the work of the government”.
The ACC’s chairman, Mohammad Abdul Momen, told Times: “All allegations raised against Ms Siddiq will be proven in any court, including the ones in the United Kingdom.
“I spent a few years in the UK for my Masters and PhD, I know the standard they maintain in governance and political choices.”