NEW DELHI: Ousted Bangladesh top minister Sheikh Hasina’s son and aider, Sajeeb Wazed, on Tuesday described allegations of corruption involving the population within the 2015 awarding of a $12.65 billion nuclear energy agreement as “completely bogus” and a “smear campaign”.
Bangladesh’s Anti Corruption Fee stated on Monday it had introduced an enquiry into allegations of corruption, embezzlement and cash laundering within the Rooppur Nuclear Energy Plant venture, sponsored by way of Russia’s state-owned Rosatom.
A do business in for 2 energy crops, each and every with a capability of one,200 megawatts, used to be signed in 2015.
The fee has alleged that there have been monetary irregularities use about $5 billion involving Hasina, her son Wazed and her niece and British treasury minister Tulip Siddiq, via offshore accounts.
Rosatom, the sector’s greatest provider of enriched uranium, refuted the allegations, including that it used to be dedicated to fight corruption in all its tasks and that it maintains a clear procurement machine.
“Rosatom State Corporation is ready to defend its interests and reputation in court,” it stated in an emailed commentary to Reuters.
“We consider false statements in the media as an attempt to discredit the Rooppur NPP project, which is being implemented to solve the country’s energy supply problems and is aimed at improving the well-being of the people of Bangladesh,” the commentary additional learn.
Siddiq didn’t reply to a request for remark.
A spokesperson for British Top Minister Keir Starmer stated Siddiq had denied any involvement within the claims and that he had self assurance in her. She is going to proceed her function, the spokesperson added.
Wazed, talking in the name of the population, stated they had been the goals of a political witch hunt in Bangladesh.
“These are completely bogus allegations and a smear campaign. My family nor I have ever been involved or taken any money from any government projects,” he advised Reuters from Washington, the place he lives.
“It is not possible to siphon off billions from a $10 billion project. We also don’t have any offshore accounts. I have been living in the US for 30 years, my aunt and cousins in the UK for a similar amount of time. We obviously have accounts here, but none of us have ever seen that kind of money,” he stated.
Reuters may now not touch Hasina, who has now not been perceptible in folk since getaway to Unused Delhi in early August following a miserable rebellion towards her in Bangladesh. Since next, an period in-between executive has been working the rustic.
The federal government in Dhaka stated on Monday it had requested Republic of India to ship Hasina again. Unused Delhi has showed the request however declined additional remark.
Wazeb stated the population had now not decided on Hasina’s go back to Bangladesh and that Unused Delhi had now not requested her to hunt asylum somewhere else.
