Man, 46, arrested in connection with the prosecution of PPE Medpro | UK news

An arrest has been made in connection with the criminal investigation into PPE Medpro, the company awarded large government contracts for personal protective equipment during the Covid pandemic.

In a statement, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said a 46-year-old man was arrested at his home in north London.

The man is understood to have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

PPE Medpro won two £203m contracts to supply personal protective equipment in the early months of the pandemic after normal competitive tendering regulations were suspended.

Fellow Tory Michelle Mone and her husband Douglas Barrowman, who both admitted involvement in the company, were previously interviewed under caution by NCA investigators. Barrowman is not the person arrested Wednesday.

In interviews with the media in late 2023, Mone and Barrowman categorically denied any wrongdoing in relation to PPE Medpro.

The NCA said: “A 46-year-old man from Barnet, London, was arrested this morning at his home address as part of an ongoing NCA investigation into suspected offenses in the procurement of PPE contracts by PPE Medpro. He is currently being interviewed by NCA officers.”