The high court has ordered PPE Medpro, the company linked to Baroness Michelle Mone, to repay £122 million for supplying defective surgical gowns to the NHS during the pandemic. The judgment, delivered by Mrs Justice Cockerill, found that the gowns were not sterile and had invalid labels, leading to their rejection in September 2020.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves welcomed the ruling, stating the government is determined to recover public money wasted during the Covid crisis. However, the company was placed into insolvency the day before the judgment, raising doubts about whether the funds can be reclaimed. PPE Medpro's owner, Doug Barrowman, has criticised the ruling and only recently indicated a willingness to discuss a settlement.
The contract was awarded via the VIP lane after Mone approached then-Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove in May 2020. Mone and Barrowman initially denied involvement but later admitted they had lied. Barrowman received at least £65 million from PPE Medpro's profits, with £29 million transferred to a trust for Mone and her children.
The National Crime Agency is conducting a criminal investigation into the contracts, and the government is exploring all options to recover the money, including potential legal action against Barrowman personally.
