Anti-corruption authorities in Bangladesh have issued a warrant for the arrest of British Labour MP Tulip Siddiq.
Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Fee (ACC) sought the warrant over allegations Ms Siddiq acquired a 7,200sq ft plot of land within the nation’s capital, Dhaka.
Ms Siddiq’s attorneys have instructed Sky Information the allegations are “utterly false”, including there was “no foundation in any respect for any costs to be made towards her”.
They stated there was “completely no fact” behind the allegations relating to the plot of land.
The MP resigned as a Treasury minister earlier this 12 months following an investigation by the prime minister’s ethics adviser into her hyperlinks to her aunt Sheikh Hasina’s regime, which was overthrown in Bangladesh final 12 months.
Earlier this month, Ms Siddiq told Sky News her lawyers were “ready” to deal with any formal questions on allegations of corruption in Bangladesh.
Tulip Siddiq’s attorneys ‘are prepared’
In her first public feedback since leaving authorities, Ms Siddiq stated “there’s been allegations for months on finish and nobody has contacted me”.
Final month, the interim leader of Bangladesh told Sky News the MP had “wealth left behind” within the nation “and ought to be made accountable”.
Attorneys appearing for Ms Siddiq wrote to the Bangladeshi Anti Corruption Fee (ACC) a number of weeks in the past saying the allegations were “false and vexatious”.
The allegations surrounding Ms Siddiq are centered on hyperlinks to her aunt Ms Hasina – who served because the prime minister of Bangladesh for 20 years.
Ms Hasina was forced to flee the country in August following weeks of lethal protests.
She is accused of changing into an autocrat, with politically-motivated arrests and different abuses allegedly taking place on her watch. Ms Hasina claims it’s all a political witch hunt.
Tulip Siddiq with Sheikh Hasina in 2009. Pic: Reuters
Ms Siddiq’s lawyer stated in a press release that she “has not been contacted by the ACC or any authorities in Bangladesh”.
“The ACC has made numerous allegations towards Ms Siddiq by the media in the previous couple of months,” they stated.
“The allegations are utterly false and have been handled in writing by Ms Siddiq’s attorneys. The ACC has not responded to Ms Siddiq or put any allegations to her straight or by her attorneys.
“Ms Siddiq is aware of nothing a couple of listening to in Dhaka regarding her and she or he has no information of any arrest warrant that’s stated to have been issued.
“To be clear, there isn’t any foundation in any respect for any costs to be made towards her, and there may be completely no fact in any allegation that she acquired a plot of land in Dhaka by unlawful means.
“She has by no means had a plot of land in Bangladesh, and she or he has by no means influenced any allocation of plots of land to her members of the family or anybody else.
“No proof has been offered by the ACC to help this or some other allegation made towards Ms Siddiq, and it’s clear to us that the costs are politically motivated.”
