A significant development occurred in the ongoing NCA investigation into PPE Medpro, with the arrest of a 46-year-old man.
- The individual was apprehended at his home in Barnet, North London, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
- PPE Medpro, which secured £203 million in government contracts during the pandemic, bypassed normal tendering regulations due to the urgent need for medical supplies.
- Conservative peer Michelle Mone and her husband, Douglas Barrowman, have previously been interviewed under caution by NCA investigators.
- The NCA has been investigating PPE Medpro since May 2021, with numerous search warrants executed at related premises.
In a significant move, the NCA has apprehended a 46-year-old man at his home in Barnet, North London. The man is suspected of conspiracy to commit fraud and attempting to pervert the course of justice. His arrest marks a crucial point in the ongoing investigation into PPE Medpro, a company that secured £203 million in government contracts for PPE supply during the early months of the pandemic.
PPE Medpro managed to secure two substantial contracts, collectively worth £203 million, through a VIP high-priority lane. This bypassed the usual competitive tendering regulations, facilitated by the urgent demand for medical supplies amid the pandemic. These contracts encompassed the supply of millions of face masks and sterile surgical gowns in May and June 2020.
Both Conservative peer Michelle Mone and her husband, Douglas Barrowman, have been previously interviewed under caution by the NCA. Although Barrowman was not the individual arrested in this latest development, his involvement remains under scrutiny. In media interviews, Barrowman has admitted to making substantial profits from the contracts, with leaked HSBC documents showing that at least £65 million was made from PPE Medpro profits, with £29 million transferred into an offshore trust benefitting Mone and her children.
Mone, who was appointed to the House of Lords by David Cameron in 2015, gained public prominence through her involvement with the lingerie company Ultimo. In December 2022, she took a leave of absence from the House of Lords to address the allegations against her. Despite initial denials, she admitted in a BBC interview to lying about her involvement with PPE Medpro, though she emphasised that this was not a criminal act.
The NCA’s investigation into PPE Medpro began in May 2021, followed by search warrants executed at the residences of Mone and Barrowman, and the company’s offices. The Lords commissioner for standards has also paused its investigation into Mone’s role, pending the NCA’s probe. The NCA has confirmed that the 46-year-old man is currently being interviewed by its officers.
In a statement, the NCA said, “A 46-year-old man from Barnet, London, was arrested this morning at his home address as part of an ongoing NCA investigation into suspected criminal offences committed in the procurement of PPE contracts by PPE Medpro. He is currently being interviewed by NCA officers.”
This latest arrest underscores the ongoing complexities and high stakes involved in the investigation into PPE Medpro’s procurement practices during the pandemic.
