Late last year, transport minister Louise Haigh quit after acknowledging a minor criminal offence before she entered govt.Siddiq was handed the portfolio for financial services policy after the election, a role that included responsibility for measures against money-laundering. In a statement, Siddiq said although an investigation into her financial affairs found she had not breached the ministerial code of conduct, her position was "likely to be a distraction from the work of the govt". "I have therefore decided to resign from my ministerial position," she said. The anti-corruption commission alleged financial irregularities worth billions of dollars in the awarding of a $12.65 billion nuclear power contract, saying Hasina and Siddiq may have benefited. After facing further scrutiny over the use of properties in the UK tied to Hasina and her supporters, Siddiq referred herself to the govt's independent ethics adviser.

Source: The Times January 15, 2025 06:22 UTC