Michelle Mone IS involved in crime probe over £203m PPE contracts, sleaze watchdog reveals

A fellow Conservative suffered a fresh blow last night when a Westminster sleaze watchdog declared for the first time that she is caught up in a criminal investigation.

Michelle Mone has been under investigation by House of Lords Standards Commissioners since January over her alleged links to a medical supplies company which won £203m in government contracts after she recommended it to ministers.

She is accused of breaching the Lords Code of Conduct by failing to declare an interest in Medpro PPE and lobbying for it to win big deals to provide surgical gowns and masks.

Yesterday the watchdog stated for the first time that the matter is being investigated as part of a criminal investigation into the scandal.

Although it emerged in April that the National Crime Agency had searched the Isle of Man home that Baroness Mone shares with her husband as part of a possible fraud investigation into PPE Medpro, she has always denied any involvement in the company. .

A statement on Parliament’s website said: “The Commissioner is unable to finalize or publish any report into Baroness Mone’s conduct while the matter is under investigation by the police or another agency as part of a criminal investigation.” Upon the conclusion or cessation of any criminal proceedings, the Commissioner will complete his investigation and publish the report thereof.’

It came as MPs criticized the 51-year-old lingerie magnate, nicknamed Baroness Bra, over allegations she made millions from shoddy medical supplies sold to the NHS.

Controversy reached the House of Commons yesterday after The Guardian reported that her husband, Douglas Barrowman, had transferred £29 million in PPE Medpro profits to an offshore trust whose beneficiaries were Lady Mone and her children, despite the fact that She denied benefiting financially from the company.

In an urgent question about the PPE procurement, Labor deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “Documents seen by The Guardian revealed yet another case of waste of taxpayers’ money, with a complete failure of due diligence and a conflict of interests at the center of public procurement”. .

‘In May 2020, PPE Medpro was created and awarded £203m in government contracts following a recommendation from a Conservative peer.

‘It now appears that tens of millions of pounds of that money ended up in offshore accounts connected to the people involved – profits made possible by the company’s personal connections to ministers and the Conservatives’ VIP route, which was declared illegal by the Court Superior. ‘

He asked if public money had been recovered from Medpro PPE. Health Minister Neil O’Brien acknowledged that PPE Medpro had been reported to “have an underperforming contract”.

He said that in such cases, the Government writes to companies setting out a claim for damages before litigation if an agreement cannot be reached.

“We have not reached the point where a satisfactory agreement has been reached,” he said.

Lady Mone attempted to downplay the growing scandal surrounding her. “Don’t believe everything you read, or everything you think,” she wrote on Instagram, in a publication that was applauded by the footballer’s wife, Rebekah Vardy.