Political reporter
PA MediaLabour MP Tulip Siddiq is set to face trial later this month over corruption allegations in Bangladesh.
The former minister is accused of illegally receiving land in Bangladesh as part of a wider investigation into the regime of her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, who was deposed as prime minister last year.
The country’s Anti-Corruption Commission confirmed her case is due to be heard, along with more than 20 other individuals including Hasina and other family members, on 11 August and if she does not attend it will be held in her absence.
Lawyers for Siddiq have denied the allegations, describing them as “politically motivated”.
The Hampstead and Highgate MP resigned as treasury minister in Sir Keir Starmer’s government in January, saying continuing in her role would be a “distraction”, although she insisted she had done nothing wrong.
The three cases to be heard on 11 August accuse Siddiq of influencing her aunt’s administration to secure a plot of land for her mother, brother and sister in Purbachal, Dhaka.
Siddiq has so far failed to appear before the court, despite several summons.
Bangladeshi authorities issued an arrest warrant for her earlier this year.
In a statement, lawyers for Siddiq said: “For nearly a year now, the Bangladesh authorities have been making false allegations against Tulip Siddiq. Ms Siddiq has not been contacted or received any official communication from the court and does not and has never owned any plot of land in Purbachal.
“This longstanding politically motivated smear campaign has included repeated briefings to the media, a refusal to respond to formal legal correspondence, and a failure to seek any meeting with or question Ms Siddiq during the recent visit by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to the United Kingdom. Such conduct is wholly incompatible with the standards of a fair, lawful, and credible investigation.
“In light of these facts, it is now time for the chief adviser and the ACC to end this baseless and defamatory effort to damage Ms Siddiq’s reputation and obstruct her work in public service.”
Last month, Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus refused to meet Siddiq to discuss the allegations against her, despite her requests, saying this was a court matter.
The commission is also investigating a separate case against Siddiq and her family over allegations of embezzlement of £3.9bn connected to a Russian-funded nuclear power plant deal with Bangladesh in 2013.
Siddiq has denied any involvement in the deal.
The investigation is based on a series of allegations made by Bobby Hajjaj, a political opponent of Hasina.
Bangladeshi authorities estimate that about $234bn (£174bn) was siphoned off from Bangladesh through corrupt means while Hasina was in power.
Siddiq quit her ministerial post earlier this year following an investigation into the allegations against her by the prime minister’s standards adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus.
In his report, Sir Laurie said he had “not identified evidence of improprieties”.
But he said it was “regrettable” that Siddiq had not been more alert to the “potential reputational risks” of her ties to her aunt.
