LITTLE CHANCE OF OUR MONEY BACK

PPE firm linked to Mone only has £660k in assets as it defends govt claim for £134m

- BY NICK SOMMERLAD

THE protective gear company linked to Michelle Mone which is being sued by the government for about £134million has only £666,000 left in assets.

Accounts for PPE Medpro Ltd show it has spent £4.3m defending itself against the claim in the High Court.

It increases the prospect that even if the government wins its claim over allegedly unusable PPE, little or no cash will be recouped for the taxpayer.

The firm was set up by a close associate of Baroness Mone and her businessman husband Doug Barrowman in the early weeks of the pandemic.

It rapidly won more than £200m in Covid contracts for surgical gowns and facemasks through the government's VIP procurement lane.

Baroness Mone initially denied any involvement in PPE Medpro to the Mirror but it later emerged she and her husband had benefitted from £65m in profits from the company.

The pair, who deny any wrongdoing, are linked to over £100m in assets such as properties and a private jet.