Sunak faces fresh Infosys scrutiny as minister accused of giving it ‘VIP access’
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is under renewed examination concerning his links to the tech company Infosys, owned by his wife's family, following revelations that Trade Minister Dominic Johnson offered support to expand the firm’s UK operations.
A Freedom of Information request revealed that during a meeting in Bengaluru, India, Johnson expressed eagerness to aid Infosys’ growth in the UK.
Akshata Murty, Sunak's wife, holds a 0.91% stake in Infosys, which was once worth over £500 million, and she earned £13 million in dividends last year.
This financial interest has heightened scrutiny over the potential conflicts of interest, especially following criticisms of Murty’s non-dom tax status and Infosys’ delayed exit from Russia post-invasion of Ukraine.
The Labour Party criticized this relationship as "VIP access," drawing parallels to controversial PPE contracts during the pandemic. Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth questioned why Infosys received such access and demanded answers.
The controversy extends to Sunak’s involvement in post-Brexit negotiations with India, which could benefit Infosys, raising conflict of interest concerns. During the April meeting, Johnson discussed visa scheme advantages for the firm.
Despite this, a DBT spokesperson defended the investment minister's actions, stressing the role of such meetings in driving UK investment and job creation.
Infosys did not respond to requests for comments.
Akshata Murty, Sunak's wife, holds a 0.91% stake in Infosys, which was once worth over £500 million, and she earned £13 million in dividends last year.
This financial interest has heightened scrutiny over the potential conflicts of interest, especially following criticisms of Murty’s non-dom tax status and Infosys’ delayed exit from Russia post-invasion of Ukraine.
The Labour Party criticized this relationship as "VIP access," drawing parallels to controversial PPE contracts during the pandemic. Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth questioned why Infosys received such access and demanded answers.
The controversy extends to Sunak’s involvement in post-Brexit negotiations with India, which could benefit Infosys, raising conflict of interest concerns. During the April meeting, Johnson discussed visa scheme advantages for the firm.
Despite this, a DBT spokesperson defended the investment minister's actions, stressing the role of such meetings in driving UK investment and job creation.
Infosys did not respond to requests for comments.
