Tory peer Michelle Mone and PPE Medpro boss husband Doug Barrowman have branded the Covid inquiry an ‘establishment cover-up’ after being told they will not be made core participants
Michelle Mone has bizarrely branded the Covid inquiry an “establishment cover-up” after being denied special privileges.
The Tory peer, who is implicated in an ongoing National Crime Agency investigation over the awarding of £200million PPE contracts during the pandemic, had requested along with her husband Doug Barrowman to be made a “core participant” in the inquiry, meaning they could view evidence early and suggest lines of questioning at oral hearings. Their first bid for special access – which came 468 days after the deadline of November 17 2023 – was rejected at the end of February.
Now, the couple have claimed they have been subjected to a “politically-motivated witch hunt” after the inquiry’s chairwoman denied their second application, which she said had been made “significantly out of time”. Baroness Heather Hallett warned that allowing the application to continue would “lead to further diversion and cause significant disruption to the timetable” of hearings.
Former Tory peer Lady Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman faced scrutiny about the “VIP-lane” contracts granted to some suppliers of PPE during the coronavirus pandemic. PPE Medpro, a consortium led by Mr Barrowman, was awarded government contracts worth more than £200million to supply equipment, after Lady Mone recommended it to ministers.
A hearing related to the firm is set to take place in private after Lady Hallett said she was satisfied there was a risk of prejudice to potential criminal proceedings if “sensitive” evidence was heard in public. The inquiry will instead publish evidence presented in the closed session, once restrictions are lifted.
In a statement on Thursday, the pair insisted that the inquiry decision to hold “closed-door sessions” was “a blatant betrayal of transparency and justice”. They said they had been “silenced,” adding: “While the inquiry refused to exclude PPE Medpro, it handed the NCA the power to dictate the proceedings behind a wall of secrecy, ensuring that only their version of events is heard – while we are denied the right to defend ourselves.” They claimed the National Crime Agency (NCA) had “waged a ruthless campaign to destroy us” and “actively tried to block PPE Medpro from being discussed in the inquiry”.
The NCA launched an investigation into PPE Medpro in May 2021 over suspected criminal offences committed in the procurement process. In a submission, the agency had said there was a “realistic possibility that criminal charges against one or more individuals will flow from the investigation”.
The NCA said the restrictions should include the identity of any person under investigation and evidence relating to the opinion of government officials concerning the company’s contracts. The agency also called for restrictions to cover evidence of payments to the firm and who potentially benefited from them.
The couple, who deny all wrongdoing, had sought to be considered “core participants” as the Covid inquiry turns its attention to PPE suppliers and procurement during the pandemic. The special status would have granted the peer, 52, and Mr Barrowman, 59, access to documents, the ability to suggest questions via their lawyers, and get advance notice of the inquiry’s report.
Lady Mone and Mr Barrowman claimed in their renewed application that they were “the most high-profile corporate and natural persons to be associated with alleged PPE procurement fraud, and the only ones (along with their direct associates) to be both sued and/or criminally investigated by the state in respect of PPE supplies at the height of the pandemic”, according to the decision published by the inquiry. Lady Hallett said they had acknowledged they were aware of the inquiry and there would be a module on PPE, but had not applied for core participant status during the window of time available to them.
According to the inquiry chairwoman, the couple had previously stated it was publicly announced that PPE Medpro would be specifically considered on December 11 2024, and “did not apply for core participant status for a further 79 days”. An NCA spokesman said: “The NCA opened an investigation in May 2021 into suspected criminal offences committed in the procurement of PPE contracts by PPE Medpro. This ongoing investigation remains a priority for the agency.
“Investigations must pursue all reasonable lines of inquiry. In serious economic crime investigations these lines of inquiry can be incredibly complex – from worldwide financial tracing exercises to the need to examine large volumes of digital material. In such cases it can take considerable time to ensure that a thorough, independent and objective investigation is conducted.”
The UK Covid-19 Inquiry declined to comment.