The controversy comes just days after the National Crime Agency (NCA) searched Mone’s home as part of a possible fraud investigation into the company, PPE Medpro, which won more than 200 200 million in government contracts without a public tender. Angela Reiner, the deputy leader of the Labor Party, wrote to the government in January to demand the disclosure of correspondence and files related to the agreement, as happened with a test contract won by another company, Randox, following pressure. by then-Tory MP Owen Patterson. In the letter, Rayner noted that Medpro won the two contracts through a “VIP lane” for politically affiliated companies, after Mone contacted two ministers in May 2020 to say it could supply PPE. “I would now ask the government to take the same approach to the Randox contract, which was a similar issue, and to commit now to placing all correspondence-related correspondence and records in the home library. [of Commons] for parliamentary scrutiny, “Rayner wrote. In a response sent last week, Undersecretary of Health Edward Argar defended efforts to buy medical supplies at the start of the Covid pandemic, saying the alternative was “not to provide the PPPs we desperately needed.” obviously not an option. “ “All bids were subject to rigorous economic, commercial, legal and political evaluations,” Argar said, adding that decisions were made by officials without the involvement of ministers and that “due diligence was appropriate given the circumstances.” He added: “However, we are not in a position to provide correspondence and records regarding the award of the PPE Medpro contract, as they remain commercially sensitive, as the department is currently in the process of mediating the products received from PPE. Medpro Ltd, which includes confidentiality commitments. “ The 25 million medical gowns provided by the company were never used after they were rejected by officials after an inspection, with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (DHSC) seeking to recover money from PPE Medpro through mediation. PPE Medpro claimed that it had complied with the terms of its clothing contract and was entitled to retain the money paid. In a statement, Rayner said the government’s refusal to release the documents “smells like a cover-up.” He said: “The fact that Medpro mediates the supply of waste PPE is not an excuse for failing to be transparent to the public – in fact it only reinforces the need for clarity about how this impressive waste was allowed to happen. “The government has shown complete contempt for workers, wasting taxpayers’ money on inappropriate contracts.” On Wednesday, the NCA searched several Medpro-related properties on the Isle of Man and in London, including the Isle of Man office building where the PPE Medpro is listed and Lady Mone’s mansion with her husband, businessman Douglas. Barrowman. Responding to previous stories, Mone’s lawyers said that any proposal for an association or collusion between the Tory peer and PPE Medpro would be “inaccurate” and that he did not participate in the operation. “Baroness Mone is not an investor, director or shareholder in any way affiliated with PPE Medpro. It has never had a role or function in PPE Medpro, nor in the process by which contracts were awarded to PPE Medpro. “ Mone’s lawyers said that after taking the “simple, lonely and short step” to refer PPE Medpro to the government, it did nothing further with the company. The Isle of Man Police Department confirmed that search warrants were issued at four addresses on the island on Wednesday “in support of an ongoing NCA investigation”. There were no arrests. DHSC referred any questions regarding Medpro to the NCA.
