Michelle Mone-linked PPE firm evidence to be heard in private, Covid inquiry rules

The president of the Covid investigation judged that evidence linked to EPI Medpro, the company linked to Baroness Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman, will be heard during a closed and private session next month.

On March 3, the survey will start four weeks of hearings on the decisions to buy personal protective equipment (EPI) during the pandemic.

Baroness Hallett said it imposed restriction because it was convinced that there was a risk of prejudice to criminal procedure if “sensitive evidence” were heard in public.

The groups of the victims and the media, of which the BBC, had argued that the dangers had been overestimated, given the early stage of the police investigation and the equipment already in the public domain.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) opened an investigation into the EPI Medpro in May 2021 on alleged criminal offenses committed in the purchase of EPI.

The company has obtained government contracts worth more than 200 million pounds Sterling after Baroness Mone recommended the company to ministers during the cocovio pandemic.

Baroness Mone, 52, and Mr. Barrowman, 59, denied the reprehensible acts.

In June 2024, the NCA said that a nameless man of 46 years of Barnet in northern London had been arrested as part of his investigation.

To date, no criminal accusation has been made and the crown prosecution service has not been officially educated by the NCA.

On December 9, 2024, the COVVID survey said that it had received a request from the NCA for a restriction order, claiming that there was a risk of prejudice to its investigation if sensitive evidence concerning the EPP MedPro had been heard in public.

The NCA originally wanted to prevent the investigation, hearing any evidence concerning the company, saying that “other contracts could be selected”.

He then asked for 26 declarations of witnesses written by his staff to be selected, and an order to make certain questions about the company to ask in the investigation room during a public session.

He argued that these restrictions should include the identity of any person under investigation; evidence relating to the opinion of any official of the government concerning the contracts of PPE MedPro; And evidence of payments to the company and which finally took advantage of it.

In his submission, he said that there was a “realistic possibility that criminal charges against one or more people arise from the investigation”.

The Ministry of Health then asked for the expansion of the terms of any restriction order to include any “financial material and correspondence” relating to the purchase of PPE to the Company, although this request was rejected by the survey.

In its last decision, Baroness Hallett said it was both “necessary and proportioned” to the investigation to examine the contracts between the government and the EPI Medpro.

But she accepted that there was a risk of damage to future criminal procedure if she authorized all the evidence to hear in public.

Consequently, any significant proof of the company will be heard during a private and closed hearing, which should be held at the end of March.

She said that the NCA initial demand, which also sought to have members of the press and other organizations excluded from these closed sessions, went “further than necessary” and was “too wide an approach”.

Representatives of five media organizations will be invited to attend, but will not be able to report the procedure until the conclusion of a criminal case, including possible calls.

Baroness Hallett said that the decision was in accordance with previous public inquiries, including the investigation into Novichok poisoning in Salisbury.

An NCA spokesperson said his investigation into the EPI Medpro “remains a priority”.

“In such cases, he can take a long time to ensure that an in-depth, independent and objective investigation is carried out,” he added.