PM should sack Siddiq over corruption claims, Badenoch says

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Kemi Badenoch has called for the PM to sack Treasury Minister, Tulip Siddiq, after she was named successful an probe into claims her household embezzled up to £3.9bn from infrastructure spending successful Bangladesh.

It follows comments from Bangladesh's caller leader, Muhammad Yunus, who told the Sunday Times Siddiq should apologise aft reports she had lived successful London properties with links to her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was deposed arsenic premier curate of Bangladesh past year.

In a station connected X, the Conservative Party person said: "It's clip for Keir Starmer to sack Tulip Siddiq," adding that the PM had "appointed his idiosyncratic person arsenic anti-corruption curate and she is accused herself of corruption".

Siddiq has referred herself to the premier minister's standards advisor and has insisted she has done thing wrong.

In a missive to Sir Laurie Magnus, who polices standards among authorities ministers, she said: "I americium wide that I person done thing wrong."

Downing Street antecedently confirmed Sir Laurie would present behaviour a "fact-finding" workout to find if "further action" was needed, including a further investigation.

But penning connected X Badenoch said Siddiq had go "a distraction erstwhile the authorities should beryllium focused connected dealing with the fiscal problems it has created".

Badenoch added: "Now the authorities of Bangladesh is raising superior concerns astir her links to the authorities of Sheikh Hasina".

In an interrogation with the Sunday Times, Bangladesh's person said that properties utilized by Siddiq should beryllium investigated and handed backmost to his authorities if they were gained done "plain robbery".

Siddiq is economical caput to the Treasury and liable for tackling economical crime, wealth laundering and illicit finance.

The allegations are portion of a wider probe by Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) into Hasina who was successful complaint of Bangladesh for much than 20 years, was seen arsenic an autocrat whose authorities ruthlessly clamped down connected dissent.

Since fleeing the state Sheikh Hasina has been accused of aggregate crimes by the caller Bangladeshi government.

In her missive to Sir Laurie Magnus pursuing the allegations Siddiq said: "In caller weeks I person been the taxable of media reporting, overmuch of it inaccurate, astir my fiscal affairs and my family's links to the erstwhile authorities of Bangladesh."

"I americium wide that I person done thing wrong," she said, adding: "However, for the avoidance of doubt, I would similar you to independently found the facts astir these matters.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir told reporters helium had assurance successful his minister, adding Siddiq had "acted wholly properly" by referring herself for investigation.

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