Lingerie tycoon Michelle Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman have accused the UK Covid-19 Inquiry of being an 'establishment cover-up' and claimed they are victims of a 'politically motivated witch-hunt'. The 53-year-old former Conservative peer said she was being silenced after their request to become core participants in the inquiry was rejected by chairman Baroness Hallett.
The couple's firm, PPE Medpro, was awarded contracts worth over £200 million during the pandemic via a VIP lane, following Baroness Mone's recommendation. They have denied any wrongdoing. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has been investigating the firm since May 2021 over suspected criminal offences.
Baroness Hallett ruled that evidence would be heard in private to avoid prejudicing the NCA investigation. In a statement on social media, Baroness Mone called the closed-door sessions 'a blatant betrayal of transparency and justice' and accused the NCA of waging 'a ruthless campaign to destroy us'.
The couple's initial bid for core participant status was rejected last month as it came more than a year after the deadline. The inquiry, expected to be the most expensive in British history, is not due to conclude until at least next year.
