UK parliamentarian admits lying about lucrative pandemic contracts but says she’s done nothing wrong

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — A member of Britain’s House of Lords has acknowledged that she repeatedly lied about her links to a company that was awarded lucrative contracts to supply protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic. In a BBC interview Sunday, underwear tycoon Michelle Mone said she had made an “error” in denying connections to the company PPE Medpro. Her husband, Doug Barrowman, has acknowledged he led the consortium that owns the firm. PPE Medpro won contracts worth more than 200 million pounds ($250 million) in 2020, but millions of surgical gowns it supplied were never used. The government has since issued breach of contract proceedings, and the National Crime Agency is investigating allegations of fraud and bribery.