A 46-year-old man has been apprehended by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in connection with an ongoing investigation into PPE Medpro. The NCA is currently looking into potential criminal offenses related to the procurement of personal protective equipment contracts by the consortium.
According to the NCA, the suspect, who resides in Barnet, North London, was arrested at his home on Wednesday morning. He is currently being questioned by NCA officers on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
PPE Medpro, a consortium led by Doug Barrowman, the husband of Baroness Michelle Mone, was awarded government contracts worth over £200m for the supply of PPE after Lady Mone recommended the company to ministers. However, the consortium has faced scrutiny and controversy over the so-called “VIP lane” contracts granted to certain firms during the COVID pandemic.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has initiated breach of contract proceedings against PPE Medpro for a 2020 deal involving the supply of gowns. PPE Medpro has stated that they will defend against the legal action, and both Lady Mone and Mr Barrowman deny any wrongdoing.
In January of this year, Mr Barrowman released a statement expressing frustration with how his family has been “treated as a punchbag” for the “lamentable failures” of the government in procuring PPE during the pandemic. He also accused the UK government of using him and his wife as scapegoats. Lady Mone, a successful businesswoman and founder of lingerie company Ultimo, became a Conservative life peer in 2015. In 2022, she took a leave of absence from the House of Lords to “clear her name of the unjust allegations” made against her.
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