Rishi Sunak under pressure over wife’s ‘blood money’ through family firm still operating in Russia
Rishi Sunak has been criticised by a Ukrainian MP over his wife’s family firm – which is still operating in Russia.
Akshata Murthy, who is married to the chancellor of the exchequer, has been accused of collecting millions in “blood money” dividends. Her estimated 0.91% stake in Infosys, which was founded by her father Narayana, stands at a cool £690m.
The firm has continued to operate in Russia – despite her husband urging UK firms to quit to impose “maximum economic pain” on the Kremlin.
The chancellor was questioned about his wife’s links on Sky News, where he was asked if his family was “potentially benefiting from Putin’s regime”, to which he replied: “I don’t think that’s the case. I am an elected politician and I am here to talk about what I am responsible for. My wife is not.”
Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko told LBC that any company still benefiting from working in Russia should be viewed as using “bloody money”.
“Any money that is put into the Russian economy in one way or the other, be it directly, be it through investment, be it through taxes … that money goes to sponsor the army … to buy the bullets that are killing Ukrainian children, Ukrainian women.
“Every company has the choice to make, you can run the business as usual and make your money, but you have to live with the fact it’s bloody money, and bloody trade.”
Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh called the situation “really quite shocking” and said Sunak’s family was “benefiting from business in Russia”, despite urging others to leave.
The Lib Dems called for the chancellor to “come clean and declare any potential conflicts of interest”.
Infosys insisted it does not “have any active business relationships with local Russian enterprises,” and had donated $1m to helping victims of war.
According to the Guardian, neither Sunak, or his family members “have any involvement in the operational decisions of the company”.