NaijNaira
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak fired his Iraqi-born colleague, former Conservative Party Chairman Nadhim Zahawi, after an independent inquiry found a “serious breach” of ministerial rules.
Upon announcing the dismissal on Sunday, Sunak released a statement in addition to a report penned by his newly appointed ethics advisor which outlined the extent of the scandal.
It was discovered that Zahawi had provided false information to previous Conservative leadership during an investigation led by UK’s tax authority, leading to a £5 million fine for late payment.
In doing so, he had also threatened libel lawsuits towards journalists and tax consultants who were attempting to uncover what had happened.
The seriousness of this case has been underlined by Sunak’s decision not to invite Zahawi to resign, with Bridget Phillipson from Labour emphasizing the “stench of sleaze just hangs around the Conservative party”.
Questions have been directed towards Sunak himself regarding his family’s tax affairs, as well as two police fines – one for attending an illegal workplace party and another for being filmed not wearing a seatbelt whilst in the backseat of a car.
These issues are further compounded when considering Richard Sharp’s involvement with securing a private credit line amounting up to £800,000 for Johnson – all foreshadowing problems within government surrounding Johnson’s own dealings
