Zahawi was finance minister last year when he was settling a tax dispute. It is not known how much money the politician ultimately had to pay. According to British media, it could be 4.8 million pounds (nearly 5.5 million euros), including a fine.
ministerial code
The prime minister had instructed his ethics adviser to investigate Zahawi. It emerges that Zahawi has ‘insufficiently taken into account the principles of the ministerial code’, according to British media. Sunak points out that when he took office as prime minister in October last year, he promised an “honest, professional and accountable” government.
Zahawi was a member of Sunak’s cabinet, although he was a minister without a department. The politician was first elected a member of parliament in 2010 and has held mainly top political positions in recent years. Zahawi was one of the founders of the research agency YouGov in 2000.