Yesterday Guido was the first to reveal in the UK media that the Bangladeshi anti-corruption commission, the ACC, has formally launched a probe into ousted dictator Sheikh Hasina and her family. Hasina’s niece is Labour Treasury minister Tulip Siddiq…
A Bangladeshi High Court order states that the court approved the commencement of an investigation by a five-strong committee – led by ACC Deputy Director Md Salahuddin – into claims that around £4 billion had been embezzled by Hasina and her family from a Russian-funded nuclear power station mega project. Bangladeshi court documents name Tulip Siddiq herself. There are photos of Siddiq, aunt Hasina, and Vladimir Putin at the signing of such a deal in 2013…
According to allegations published in Bangladesh, 90% of the £10 billion value of the plant was paid by a Kremlin loan – of which £3.9 billion was allegedly embezzled by the Hasina family through Malaysian banks with help from Russian officials. Labour sources yesterday poured cold water on the whole thing by pointing out the claim originated “from a spurious American aerospace website.” The UK media class was too busy having Christmas parties, but now Guido’s report has been picked up by the BBC and splashed the Daily Mail – Tulip is in a very tricky spot…
The BBC reports the same allegations today: “Court documents seen by the BBC show Hajjaj accused Siddiq of mediating and coordinating meetings for the Bangladeshi officials with the Russian government to build the £10bn Rooppur Power Plant Project. It is claimed that the deal inflated the price of the plant by £1bn, according to the documents – 30% of which was allegedly distributed to Siddiq and other family members via a complex network of banks and overseas companies. In total, Hajjaj alleges £3.9bn was siphoned out of the project by Hasina’s family and minister. Footage from 2013 shows Siddiq attended the deal’s signing by Hasina and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, recorded by the Associated Press.” Poetically, Siddiq’s brief at HMT includes responsiblity for anti-corruption in the UK…
A major report by the new Bangladeshi government into the state of the economy as they have found it has been released. The government notes that “there exists a robust nexus among civil bureaucracy, contractors, and politicians that facilitates the embezzlement of public funds for personal gain. This alliance is a fundamental driver of corruption and must be prioritised for disruption at the national level.” It estimates the magnitude of corruption ranges from USD 14 billion to 24 billion out of the USD 60 billion invested in various development projects over the past 15 years. With regard to embezzlement there is a clear statement of intent:
“It has been widely suggested that many bribes and extortions occur abroad, leading to substantial sums of money being transferred out of the country to evade detection by various agencies. Public servants, who are often at the heart of these corruption schemes, have shown reluctance to declare their assets to the government. However, increased public pressure for transparency has prompted businesses, civil servants, and politicians to seek safe havens for concealing their corrupt funds.
Countries such as Canada, the USA, UAE, Singapore, and the UK are frequently criticised for providing such havens. Many corruption payments are made overseas to avoid scrutiny by government agencies. Therefore, it is essential that government officials, project directors, and ministers be subjected to public scrutiny regarding their wealth held abroad, whether in their names or under the names of family members.”
There is no comment from Labour on the new formal government inquiry, and no comment from Tulip Siddiq on the allegations despite multiple approaches. A Labour spokesman only comments on the photo with Putin – ‘This event was 11 years ago before Tulip was an MP. Tulip only went to Russia to see her aunt and spend time with her family. She had no role at any events she attended beyond being a family member.” Co-conspirators will remember that Hasina left in a hurry – doomed dictatorships without time to prepare leave troves of documents behind. Will Keir Starmer allow Siddiq to continue in her brief as corruption minister while being officially investigated by the Bangladeshi government for corruption?
And despite an odd silence from the Tories on the matter, insiders are noting that Siddiq’s majority in Hampstead and Kilburn is 13,970. Some lefty independents will have eyes on that…
As Guido revealed earlier this month, ex-Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick has officially debuted his first GB News segment—a tightly packed six-minute piece laser-focused on crime. True to form, Jenrick takes aim at the “broken” justice system, bemoaning a police force losing officers “in frustration.” Putting his new role as shadow justice secretary to good use…
Behind the scenes, Jenrick’s been in talks with GB News top brass about the frequency and focus of potential future segments. With the broadcaster undergoing a pre-Christmas shakeup of its roster, Jenrick could be a new friendly face on the People’s Channel…
The Financial Times has crowned Donald Trump as their Person of the Year—though you can practically hear their teeth grinding through the prose. The long read kicks off by calling Trump’s resurgence “the most dramatic comeback in modern US history” and wraps up with a cautionary note: “Others forecast that Trump 2.0 will spell chaos, not a new order. Whichever it is, Trump’s return heralds a new gilded age for money in US politics and diplomacy.” The FT has hardly been a fan of the President-elect in the past…
Back in November, the paper described his Madison Square Garden rally as “marred by racism,” and after his victory, it published the doom-laden headline: “Global Economy Prepares for the Trump ‘Macro Shock,’” over fears of potential tariff hikes. Go back to 2016, and they were running pieces such as “Trump’s Overt Sexism Obscures a More Dangerous Bias.” They can’t ignore The Donald’s success anymore…
GB News has announced pretty major changes to its presenting schedule ahead of the New Year. Getting the sackings over with before Christmas…
There will be more changes in the New Year. Head Of Programming Ben Briscoe says “we are also making inroads against the big public serving broadcasters terrestrial channels. Our initiatives will allow us to build on this success with a renewed focus and ambition.” Younger talents are the main winners from this shakeup – helpful seeing as they usually cost a good deal less…
Water regulator Ofwat has just announced that water bills in England and Wales will go up by an average of £31 per year for the next half decade. An average of 36% above inflation by 2030…
That’s higher than the 21% average the regulator indicated it would go for earlier in the year. Some suppliers have been allowed to raise bills higher – its 53% for Southern, or an extra £222 per year. Defra Secretary Steve Reed says in response the “the public are right to be angry” about the water industry in general and promises change from Labour. At the same time beleaguered Thames Water has been handed a £18.2 million fine for breaking dividend payment rules. Incidentally the firm was pushing hard for a 53% increase in water bills to stay afloat – it was granted 35%…
As Guido noted last week, a festive tune criticising Keir Starmer over Labour’s winter fuel debacle is picking up a lot of fans. The track, by Sir Keir Starmer and The Granny Harmers, is called “Freezing this Christmas”…
Now the BBC has been dragged into a row over its refusal to play the song, which is a contender for the Christmas charts. The song will hit the official charts on Friday, having reached 85 in the midweek table. It is already number one the EE Big Top 40 which measures downloads and streams on Apple Music…
A BBC spokesperson said music track decisions are made “with the relevant audiences and context in mind”. In that case, it should be on BBC radio very soon…
Former leader of the SNP in Westminster Ian Blackford told Times Radio why he believes Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that she spent no time in the kitchen and therefore didn’t see any of her husband’s purchases:
“She doesn’t have a passion for cooking.”