The Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission has threatened Tulip Siddiq with an Interpol Red Notice this week if she doesn’t show her face in court:
“Now, if the accused Ms. Siddiq does not turn up and surrender before the court, ACC will follow the global practice of taking assistance from Interpol through Bangladesh Police and Ministry of Home. Britain has been a very respected member of Interpol since 1928. Because of non-appearance, the accused would be treated as [a] criminal absconder. Bangladesh, also a member of Interpol, will ask to issue a red alert. The responsibility of the host country of the criminal absconder is to make sure that the accused is arrested and extradited following standard legal procedures.”
Siddiq denies all wrongdoing. If 27 April passes without Tulip’s arrival her trial can begin without her. A Red Notice is an international request for location and arrest of a concerned party prior to their extradition. Bangladesh is classed by the UK as a Category 2 Type B country for extradition. This is the process for those:
This means that at three stages a decision will have to be made by Yvette Cooper with regard to Siddiq if an extradition request is made. The US has stated Siddiq is a matter for the UK and Bangladesh. This is an unprecedented case and could be extremely tricky for Labour if it goes so far. Downing Street has so far refused to say whether they would honour a request. Cooper may wish to find some means of recusing herself…
Siddiq’s lawyers say: ‘The ACC has made various allegations against Ms Siddiq through the media in the last few months. The allegations are completely false and have been dealt with in writing by Ms Siddiq’s lawyers.” Tulip herself calls it a ‘trial by media’…
US State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce spoke to reporters yesterday and weighed in on the Tulip Siddiq arrest warrant:
“I do want to share something relevant concerning Bangladesh: there has been an arrest warrant issued by Bangladeshi courts for a UK Member of Parliament. That’s an internal legal matter and, like the protests and related events you referenced, it’s for Bangladeshi authorities to handle. Talking with them matters a great deal as well. Ultimately, the future of Bangladesh will be decided by the Bangladeshi people.”
Siddiq denies all wrongdoing. State Department saying it’s for Bangladesh to handle…
Tulip Siddiq has spoken on camera for the first time since a Bangladesh court issued an arrest warrant for the MP. She says she is facing a “trial by media.”
“No one from the Bangladeshi authorities has contacted me the entire time, they’ve done trial by media. My lawyers proactively wrote to the Bangladeshi authorities – they never responded. I’m sure you’d understand I can’t dignify this politically motivated smear campaign with any context or any comments, it’s a completely politically motivated smear campaign trying to harass me. There is no evidence that I’ve done anything wrong.”
Asked at today’s Lobby briefing to journalists Starmer’s spokesman said the “government doesn’t comment on individual legal cases” and said that in any case it doesn’t “get into extradition issues at all.” Previously the line was that No 10 “wouldn’t get into hypotheticals.” Not hypothetical any more…
Tax minister James Murray was on LBC asked about the arrest warrant issued in Bangladesh for his former Treasury colleague Tulip Siddiq:
“There’s a long-standing government position that we won’t comment on extradition proceedings or in individual cases, I mean I know that Tulip has strenuously denied the allegations and her lawyers have said that it’s political interference that is involved but in terms of what I can say as a government minister there’s a long-standing position that we won’t comment on that.
Murray implied Tulip would not have to provide more in terms of a defence:
“Well my understanding is that she has already strenuously denied the allegations and her lawyers said they believe that there is political interference involved so she and her lawyers have already set out the position as far as I understand it.”
Tulip Siddiq’s team has not so far commented on the ex-minister’s alleged possession of dual nationality. A Bangladeshi court order bears a Bangladeshi National ID Card number for her, suggesting she is a Bangladeshi dual national…
Siddiq denies all wrongdoing on her part. When it comes to extradition proceedings they are agreed on a case by case basis with Bangladesh. Guido asked No 10 back in January if they would comply with an extradition request and the PM’s spokesman said Downing Street “wouldn’t get into hypotheticals.” Judge Mohammad Jakir Hossain has set 27 April as the implementation date for the warrant…
UPDATE: Now Tulip Siddiq claims she is “victim of a politically motivated smear campaign” after Bangladesh issues an arrest warrant.
Bangladeshi media today reports:
“The hearing of the chargesheet in the corruption case involving former premier Sheikh Hasina and members of her family is scheduled to begin at Dhaka Metropolitan Senior Special Judges’ Court from Thursday. The case centres on allegations of irregularities and abuse of power in the allocation of government land in Purbachal New Town project overseen by RAJUK.”
This kicks off hearings for six cases involving the allocation of property in the Purbachal area in Dhaka. The Anti-Corruption Commission has confirmed the court schedule: “The cases will be heard in three phases, starting 15 days after the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) submitted its chargesheets. The ACC submitted the chargesheets on Mar 24 in connection with the six land allocation cases. All six were filed at the Senior Special Judges’ Court in Dhaka.” Sheikh Hasina and members of her family including former corruption minister Tulip Siddiq are named on the ACC’s charge sheets, along with sixteen officials from RAJUK and the Ministry of Housing and Public Works. A total of 23 people are accused…
The court schedule for the charge sheets is reported as:
The ACC says these “hearings are a prerequisite for determining the admissibility of the chargesheets.” Siddiq for her part denies all wrongdoing – she and her lawyers call claims against her “vexatious.” Formal proceedings initiated…
Pressure is not letting up on Tulip Siddiq following her public remarks and exchange of letters with the Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission. The ex-anti-corruption minister told Sky: “Why don’t you look at my legal letter and see if I have any questions to answer… [the Bangladeshi authorities] have not once contacted me and I’m waiting to hear from them.” The letter is detailed here…
Last night the Bangladeshi ACC’s Chairman Abdul Momen responded to that by insisting there is extensive documentary evidence to substantiate their claims:
“The charge sheet has been prepared after a thorough examination of documentary evidence. The rest lies with the court, while execution of all orders lies with the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also be involved… The same legal standards will apply to other absconding accused, including Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana, Sajeeb Wazed, Saima Wazed, Radwan Mujib Siddiq, and Azmina Siddiq.”
The Bangladesh courts have already issued a travel ban. Downing Street has refused to comment on the possibility of extradition in a hypothetical scenario in which charges are issued by Bangladesh…
Now the UK Daily Mail has searched records at the Dhaka Sub Registry Office and has reported an apparent inconsistency with the MP’s declarations over the ownership of property: “Entries in Westminster’s Register of Members’ Interests state she co-owned the property with a family member in June 2015 and by the following month ownership had been transferred. But searches made last week by the Mail at the Dhaka Sub Registry Office appear to show that Ms Siddiq still owns the flat, as the ACC alleges. A Bangladeshi court will now decide who owns it.” Siddiq and her lawyers call claims against her “vexatious.“ Things are moving…
Robert Jenrick on the Today programme:
“Can you now give a guarantee to your listeners this morning that no BBC presenter in the future will be exposed as a paedophile, as a number have been in the recent past? No, of course you can’t…”