UK PM Boris Johnson agrees to launch probe into Rishi Sunak's ministerial interests

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday accepted the request of Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak for a review by Lord Geidt. Boris Johnson has informed his ethics adviser to conduct an inquiry into Rishi Sunak's ministerial interests as the chancellor faced criticism over his family’s finances. However, UK PM continues to have "full confidence" in Rishi Sunak as a probe into the Chancellor's ministerial interests started, The Independent reported citing a No 10 spokeswoman. 

Boris Johnson has given a green signal to Rishi Sunak’s request for a probe into the Chancellor’s ministerial interests by a ministerial ethics watchdog. Rishi Sunak had written to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson seeking an investigation just days after The Independent reported that Akshata Murty, wife of Rishi Sunak saved on taxes due to her "non-domicile status." It is pertinent to note that the UK Chancellor has been facing backlash over his tax affairs recently. Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner claimed that Rishi Sunak has made a "catalogue of potential breaches of the Ministerial Code," as per the news report.

'I have followed all the rules': Rishi Sunak 

Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak stated that he was "confident" Lord Geidt would find that he had "appropriately" declared all his interests and had followed all the rules, he released the letter written to PM Boris Johnson on Twitter. Rishi Sunak has said that he had told the Cabinet Office about his wife's non-domicile status when he was first sworn in as a minister, BBC News reported. Sunak has accused political opponents of "smearing" his wife to criticize him and stressed that his wife is entitled to use her non-domicile status as she is an Indian citizen and plans to move back to India in the future to care for her parents. It is to note here that under the UK laws, non-domicile status is given to those who live in the UK but declare permanent home in another country 

Akshata Murty faces questions over her non-domicile status

It is pertinent to mention here that Akshata Murthy has been making headlines recently following a debate over her non-domicile status. Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murty on Saturday asserted that she would pay the United Kingdom all taxes on her abroad income, including from India. Murty makes money from her shares in the Indian software giant, Infosys. According to the BBC News report, Akshata Murty owns £700m in shares of Infosys, founded by her father Narayan Murthy. Reportedly, she had received £11.6m in dividend income last year and the BBC estimates that Murty would have avoided paying £2.1m a year in UK tax through her non-domicile status.

Image: AP/Facebook/RishiSunak