Mone accuses Covid Inquiry of ‘cover-up’ after core participant bid rejected
Their first bid for special access, which came 468 days after the deadline of November 17 2023, was rejected at the end of February.
Baroness Michelle Mone and her husband have accused the Covid-19 inquiry of being an “establishment cover-up” after their second bid to be made “core participants” in the probe was rejected.
The couple claimed they were subjected to a “politically motivated witch hunt” after the inquiry’s chairwoman denied their application, which she said had been made “significantly out of time”.
Their first bid for special access, which came 468 days after the deadline of November 17 2023, was rejected at the end of February.
Their second attempt also failed, with chairwoman Baroness Heather Hallett warning 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 have 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 £200 million to supply equipment, after Lady Mone recommended it to ministers.
A hearing related to the firm will 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 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 the firm 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 had sought to be considered “core participants” as the 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 are “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.
Lady Mone and her husband stated the inquiry chairwoman should have brought the probe’s “interest in PPE Medpro to their attention so that they could consider whether they wanted to apply for core participant status”.
“The first time we learned that PPE Medpro was being specifically profiled in this inquiry was on February 26 2025,” the peer added.
“Until then, it was understood that discussions were general, covering overall PPE procurement, not targeting any individual entity.”
But Lady Hallett insisted it was not necessary for her to contact individual companies, adding: “The inquiry conducts its work in public and rightly expects those with a potential interest in it to follow the information which it posts on its website, which is available to all.”
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.
