The British government publishes PM Sunak and other ministers’ interests. On Wednesday, Britain’s government updated its ministers’ interests, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is under investigation for failing to report his wife’s shareholdings.
On April 13, Parliament’s Commissioner for Standards began investigating whether Sunak correctly declared his wife’s interest in a daycare company that would profit from the new government policy.
On Monday, the prime minister’s spokesperson claimed Sunak’s wife’s investment in Koru Kids had been transparently stated. However, opponents urged Sunak to provide an updated list of ministerial interests to promote openness.
On Wednesday, the Cabinet Office listed Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murthy, as a “venture capital investor.”
“She owns a venture capital investment company, Catamaran Ventures UK Limited, and a number of direct shareholdings,” the paper stated.
“This includes his wife’s minority Koru Kids shareholding.”
The ministerial interests list stated that Sunak’s financial interests were managed through a “blind trust/blind management arrangement.”
Sunak, who took office in October promising to run a government with honesty “at every level” to boost his party’s prospects ahead of a national election next year, is embarrassed by the inquiry.
Sunak and Murthy are the wealthiest Downing Street residents. Murthy owns 0.9% of Infosys, which her father founded.
While Sunak was finance minister, Murthy’s “non-domiciled” tax position meant she didn’t pay British taxes on her foreign earnings. She renounced the status and agreed to pay British tax on her global income.
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