CONSERVATIVE peer Michelle Mone has had her home raided by police as part of a probe into allegations of multi-million pound PPE fraud.
The National Crime Agency is investigating contracts won by PPE Medpro, a firm set up by a business associate of the Tory peer.
A special unit in the NCA has been looking into allegations of fraud for a year, reports say.
Mone referred PPE Medpro to the UK Government for Covid contracts through the “VIP lane” which has since been ruled illegal. The firm went on to win more than £200 million in Covid PPE contracts from the Department of Health in 2020.
The baroness’s £11m London home – one of a string of properties raided by officers this week – is owned by an offshore company linked to her husband, Doug Barrowman.
Warrants were executed at four addresses on the Isle of Man on Wednesday, including the headquarters of the Knox Group, which Barrowman founded and chairs.
No arrests were made but documents and electronic devices were seized.
Isle of Man police confirmed: "The Isle of Man Constabulary, in support of an ongoing NCA investigation, executed search warrants at four addresses in the Isle of Man. No arrests were made."
PPE Medpro bought 25 million gowns from a Chinese firm for £46m and sold it on for £122m, according to documents seen by The Guardian.
The gowns were rejected after an inspection by the health service and ultimately never used.
Mone previous claimed she had “no role or involvement” with PPE Medpro, but conceded she had been involved in the “very simple, solitary and brief step” of recommending it through the VIP lane.
The peer insisted she “did not do anything further in respect of PPE Medpro”.
She has been asked to explain why leaked Whatsapp messages allegedly show her discussing the business’s affairs.
Mone allegedly wrote: “We are just about to take off in the jet. The sizes are in the order. We are waiting for the official PO [purchase order], this should come in today.”
Mone’s lawyers said she could not be expected to comment on “unknown and unattributable WhatsApp messages allegedly sent 19 months ago”.
An NCA spokesperson said: "The NCA does not routinely confirm or deny the existence of investigations or the names of those who may or may not be under investigation."
Mone (above centre) is also facing an investigation by the Lords standards watchdog over the awarding of the Government contracts.
The Lords Standards Commissioners said they are investigating potential breaches of the peers’ code of conduct in relation to her alleged involvement in procuring contracts for PPE Medpro.
The move follows a complaint by Labour peer George Foulkes after reports into the awarding of the contracts in the early days of the pandemic.
Mone has consistently denied being "connected to PPE Medpro in any capacity”.
According to a statement on the commissioners’ website, the investigation covers potential breaches of provisions in the code of conduct banning peers from accepting financial inducements for exercising parliamentary influence and requiring them publicly to declare all relevant interests.
Mone was made a life peer by David Cameron in 2015 after selling an 80% stake in her Ultimo lingerie company.
