Tulip Siddiq faces pressure to resign over property scandal: FT report
UK City Minister Tulip Siddiq is under increasing pressure to resign following her involvement in a scandal tied to the ousted Awami League (AL) government in Bangladesh, reports British daily Financial Times (FT).
Tulip Siddiq, who is responsible for anti-corruption efforts, has been linked to multiple properties associated with her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, former prime minister of Bangladesh, and her Awami League party. The AL has been accused of siphoning funds from Bangladesh's banking system, although they deny the allegations.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. "It is high time for Tulip Siddiq to explain the source of her wealth, and whether any of it comes from the proceeds of her aunt's alleged corrupt dealings," said Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp.
He urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to "remove her from her role as anti-corruption minister until these questions are answered… the prime minister's continual failure to answer any questions, nor take any action, shows he lacks strength or integrity."
While Keir Starmer continues to support Tulip Siddiq, a senior Labour official told the FT that the party leadership is finding it "hard to defend" her financial dealings, with her position becoming increasingly untenable.
"It's becoming a millstone," the official said.
The FT disclosed last Friday that Tulip became the owner of a two-bedroom flat near King's Cross in London in 2004 without making any payment for it. The flat had been purchased three years earlier for £195,000 by Abdul Motalif, a developer connected to senior Awami League figures. Tulip still owns the property, and a comparable flat was sold for £650,000 in August.
Additionally, the Sunday Times reported that Tulip Siddiq had lived in another property in Hampstead that had been transferred to her sister by Moin Ghani, a prominent lawyer who has represented the Awami League-led Bangladesh government. Sources confirmed Tulip Siddiq's living arrangements, while Ghani, who had previously registered his address at the King's Cross flat, declined to comment.
Tulip is also renting a £2.1 million home in London's East Finchley owned by Abdul Karim, an executive member of the UK branch of the Awami League. She moved into the property, which lies outside her constituency, shortly after it was purchased in July 2022, as confirmed by Land Registry filings. An ally of Tulip said that she was paying "market rates" and that the landlord-tenant relationship between her and Karim had been appropriately declared to parliamentary authorities.
Sheikh Hasina was removed from office last year following student protests and a violent crackdown. Bangladesh's interim government has accused senior officials from her regime of siphoning funds from the banking system to acquire overseas properties, claims which they have denied.
Although Tulip Siddiq insists she has done nothing wrong, she has provided contradictory accounts of how she came to own the King's Cross flat. The Mail on Sunday reported that Tulip Siddiq initially claimed the flat was purchased by her parents. "Tulip's previous understanding of how she gained ownership of the property has changed," said a source familiar with the situation.
The source clarified that Tulip Siddiq's parents had provided financial support to an acquaintance, Abdul Motalif, who later transferred a property to Tulip Siddiq as an "act of gratitude." The source added that Tulip Siddiq did not pay taxes on the property because it was a gift and therefore exempt from stamp duty.
On Sunday, the source further explained that the financial support given by Tulip's parents to Motalif had been repaid in full before the property was transferred. As a result, Tulip did not owe stamp duty and had sought legal advice to confirm this.
A senior UK official working on countering kleptocracy policies told the FT, "The challenge here is that 'I got a gift from this guy out of gratitude because my politically exposed family helped him out' is the sort of account… that we spend our time telling banks is not good enough."
Comments