Rishi Sunak has denied any ties to a global corporation part-owned by his wife that has continued to operate in Russia during the Ukraine conflict as per a report by BBC.
The UK Chancellor stated that he had “nothing to do” with Infosys, a company in which his wife Akshata Murthy owns stock. He has also pushed UK businesses to leave Russia in order to cause “economic anguish” to President Vladimir Putin.
Murthy, according to Sunak’s spokeswoman, played no part in Infosys’ operational choices.
Sunak told Sky News on Thursday when asked about Infosys’ presence in Russia: “I’m a politician who was elected, and I’m here to tell you about my responsibilities. My wife is not one of them.”
He went on to say that the operations of businesses were “up to them.”
“We’ve set in place hefty sanctions, and all of the corporations we’re responsible for are obeying them,” stated the Chancellor.
Murthy’s father, Narayana Murthy, co-founded the software giant and retired from it in 2014, according to the BBC.
The firm, which was founded in 1981, has subsequently expanded into a number of nations and has a presence in Moscow.
According to the company’s most recent annual report, Akshata Murthy owns 0.9 percent of the company’s stock, which is apparently worth hundreds of millions of pounds.
Sunak stated earlier this month that the government will “totally support” UK companies that voluntarily leave Russia.
The Chancellor said he welcomed the “agreement on the need to inflict maximum economic pain on Putin and his dictatorship” after meeting with a group of top British companies.
“While I recognise that winding down existing investments may be difficult, I believe there is no case for fresh investment in the Russian economy,” he continued.
