A minister has been interviewed by the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team over allegations that she helped her family to embezzle up to £3.9 billion from a nuclear energy project in Bangladesh.
Tulip Siddiq, the economic secretary to the Treasury, is accused of helping her aunt, the recently deposed former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, to broker a corrupt deal with Russia for the power plant.
From observing Bangladeshi politics as a columnist in that country – sure, corruption all around. But my impression – and it is only an impression based upon mild observation – is that the politics wasn’t about peculation. Rather, allowing to peculate was a function of politics. Folk might get a loan – not, really, repayable, or little demand that it be, say and for example – as a manner of gainingh political support. Or an import licence or……but the function of the moneyflows was to retain the political power which was the goal.
On the other hand I’ve direct experience with the Russian nuclear industry and that’s a rats’ nest of thievery. For the benefit of those doing is and nowt else.
It would surprise, at all, to find that a Russian reactor was, erm, not market priced. That billions were lifted off for the ruling family would. That’s just not my – and I emphasise again, this is an outsider’s perception – feeling for it.
Take that with the amount of importance it has, that view – not much.
We have an example of Bangladeshi politics closer to home in a certain borough. And a rats’ nest that is too – but no one’s been saying that the moneyflows are to directly enrich, they’re about retaining power……
It’s their culture (now ours) innit.
I say, I say, I say: why did St Armer choose a Bangladeshi as anti-corruption minister?
Because he didn’t have any Sicilians available.
Import the Third World and become the Third World…
Thanks, tories!
In some parts of the world you do not decide to start your own business by thinking about what you are good at and what you are interested in. What you do is look at how much cash you have, who you are connected with and who you can get away with bribing.
“the Cabinet Office’s propriety and ethics team”. I wonder who they play for?
A number of times I’ve pointed out that’s how business in Russia worked back when. Quite possibly still does. We got around it by doing things that no one was doing at all – therefore no turf being protected.
I recall advice given to staff that traveled to interesting places about how to fill out expense forms etc.
Went along the lines of ……. You say bribery I say observing local customs and practices
Another one of the yes minister irregular items