THERE is a “realistic" chance that criminal charges will follow the ongoing investigation into Covid contracts handed to a firm linked to Scottish Tory businesswoman Michelle Mone, the National Crime Agency (NCA) has said.
The comments come in a ruling handed down by Covid Inquiry chair Heather Hallett, who has said that evidence related to PPE Medpro – a firm controlled by Mone’s husband Douglas Barrowman – will be heard in a private, closed session.
The NCA had requested, in a submission on December 9, that evidence linked to PPE Medpro be heard in private to avoid prejudicing the ongoing probe into the firm.
Hallett granted the request, but said that five media outlets could attend in order to gather information which could be reported after the conclusion of any criminal proceedings.
In the final publication of her ruling, the Covid inquiry chair noted: “On 20 September 2024, the inquiry received a number of witness statements from the [NCA].
"This evidence relates to the NCA’s criminal investigation into contracts entered into by PPE Medpro Ltd (“Medpro”), one of the suppliers to the UK government of personal protective equipment (“PPE”) during the pandemic.
“Some of the evidence contains information which the NCA considers to be sensitive.
“The NCA submits there is a realistic possibility that criminal charges against one or more individuals will flow from the investigation.”
Medpro was given PPE contracts worth more than £200 million after Mone lobbied ministers including Michael Gove to allow it to use the Tory government’s “VIP lane” – which was itself later deemed unlawful.
Despite repeatedly denying any connection to the company, Mone and Barrowman were eventually forced to admit that they stood to benefit from a trust which held around £60m in profit from the deals.
Mone insisted that lying to the media “is not a crime” after the admission.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has since issued breach of contract proceedings over the 2020 deal on the supply of gowns.
Mone and Barrowman deny any wrongdoing.
In June 2024, a 46-year-old man was arrested as part of the NCA investigation into PPE Medpro. No charges have yet been filed.
The BBC reported that it had been among the voices arguing against the decision to keep the Medpro evidence private, saying it “had argued the dangers were overstated, given the early stage of the police investigation and the material already in the public domain”.
