Russia’s state-run nuclear agency on Tuesday refuted allegations of corruption and embezzlement by an anti-graft panel in Bangladesh related to an atomic power plant it is building in the South Asian country.
Bangladesh’s Anti-Corruption Commission said on Monday it had begun an investigation into allegations that former premier Sheikh Hasina, her son Sajeeb Ahmed Wazed and her niece, UK treasury minister Tulip Siddiq, had embezzled $5 billion from the “overpriced $12.65 billion” Rooppur nuclear power plant (NPP).
“Rosatom State Corporation refutes provocative statements about the implementation of the Rooppur NPP project that have appeared in the media,” the state-run nuclear agency said in a statement.
“Rosatom is committed to a policy of openness and the principle of combating corruption in all its projects and maintains a transparent procurement system. External audits regularly confirm the openness of the business processes of the project,” it said.
Rosatom State Corporation is “ready to defend its interests and reputation in court”, the statement said.
“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,” it said.
Indian companies are involved in developing infrastructure for the Rooppur nuclear power plant, which is being implemented by Rosatom. The plant has been described as the first initiative under an India-Russia deal to carry out atomic energy projects in third countries.
