Michelle Mone, a Tory peer, is taking a leave of absence from the House of Lords “to clear her name of the false claims that have been made against her,” according to her spokesman.
This means she cannot attend House sessions, vote on any proceedings, or get an allowance.
During the Covid epidemic, Baroness Mone has been linked to PPE Medpro, which secured government contracts.
Before this, her attorneys stated that she “had no position or function in PPE Medpro.”
Baroness Mone decided to take a leave of absence “with immediate effect,” according to her spokeswoman.
In addition, she is exempt from registering her financial interests, although her request for a leave of absence may be denied.
Since April, Baroness Mone has not voted in the Lords and has not participated in a debate since March 2020.
Masks and medical gowns will be supplied by PPE Medpro between May and June of 2020 under two government contracts worth a total of £203 million.
Unusually, the company was only a few weeks old when the first of these contracts were inked.
PPE Medpro stated at the time that it had delivered 100 percent of the contract according to the terms stipulated and had supplied equipment “completely in compliance with the agreed-upon contract, which contained detailed technical specifications and performance criteria for the items.”
The Lords commissioner for standards is investigating Baroness Mone, a businesswoman from Glasgow who joined the House of Lords in 2015, for her “alleged role” in acquiring contracts for the company.
The commissioner explains that he is unable to finalize or release his report because “the incident is being investigated by the police or another agency as part of a criminal inquiry.”
The National Crime Agency conducted searches of company-related properties earlier this year.
Baroness Mone referred the company to a government minister during the pandemic, according to emails disclosed under Freedom of Information legislation.
Angela Rayner, the deputy leader of the Labour Party, accused the government of a “complete lack of due diligence” and a “conflict of interest” in handing contracts to PPE Medpro last month.
She was reacting to a Guardian investigation based on leaked documents alleging that Baroness Mone had gained financially from the enterprise.
She told the MPs that it looked like “tens of millions of pounds” of the money paid to the company “ended up in offshore accounts associated with the accused persons.”
Baroness Mone has not commented on the most recent claims despite repeated attempts.
In December 2020, her attorneys notified that she “had no part or function in PPE Medpro nor in the process by which contracts were granted to PPE Medpro” in response to rumors that she was connected to the company.
Labour is currently attempting to compel ministers to disclose correspondence, papers, and advice about government contracts handed to PPE Medpro.
Later, during a Commons discussion, the party will introduce a resolution requesting the documents’ publication.
If the motion passes, the government would be required to release the records, despite the possibility that they could be censored for legal or commercial reasons.
It is anticipated that conservative lawmakers will abstain, allowing the motion to pass.
According to the Agency of Health, “due diligence was conducted on all companies recommended to the department, and each company was subjected to the same checks.
“We worked rapidly to acquire PPE [personal protective equipment] during the height of the pandemic, competing in a global market where demand vastly outpaced supply.”
The department is engaged in mediation with PPE Medpro over a “non-performing contract” and is unable to comment on specifics.
