Latest news with #Barrowman
Glasgow Times
3 hours ago
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Michelle Mone makes 'millions' after selling Glasgow townhouses
The Scottish Mail on Sunday reports that Baroness Mone sold a £19m London townhouse and £6.8m Lady M Yacht last year. It comes after Glasgow-born Mone and her billionaire husband Doug Barrowman had £75m worth of assets frozen by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The couple are at the centre of a fraud probe over the firm PPE Medpro, controlled by Barrowman, that was awarded £203m worth of UK Government contracts through a 'VIP lane' during the Covid-19 pandemic. In November 2023, Mone finally admitted her involvement with PPE Medpro for the first time, after years of denying any links to the company. It then emerged Barrowman was reportedly paid at least £65m from PPE Medpro's profits, later transferring £29m into a trust for Mone and her three adult children. Several properties were frozen under the Proceeds of Crime Act in 2023. And now, Mone has reportedly sold her Glasgow homes. The Mail on Sunday reports that there is no suggestion any of the property sales breached any existing orders put in place by the NCA. One townhouse in Glasgow's plush Park Circus was bought by Barrowman's Knox business group for £1.7m in 2020. The couple have now reportedly sold this to a photographer for £2m last year. Another nearby townhouse was sold for £2.8m, allegedly to a Scottish musician, who was not named. It was bought in July 2020 for just over £1.4m. A spokesperson for the NCA confirmed an investigation is still ongoing into PPE Medpro. 'The NCA opened an investigation in May 2021 into suspected criminal offences committed in the procurement of PPE contracts by PPE Medpro,' they said. 'This ongoing investigation remains a priority for the agency. READ MORE: Scottish independence 'already begun as UK political culture diverges' 'Investigations must pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry. In serious economic crime investigations these lines of enquiry can be incredibly complex – from worldwide financial tracing exercises to the need to examine large volumes of digital material. 'In such cases it can take considerable time to ensure that a thorough, independent and objective investigation is conducted.' PPE Medpro is also being sued by the Department of Health and Social Care, amid claims that the gown supplied by the firm were not fit for use. We previously told how Mone accused the NCA of "smearing [her] as a criminal".
The National
14 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Michelle Mone makes 'millions in profits' after selling Glasgow townhouses
The Scottish Mail on Sunday reports that Baroness Mone sold a £19m London townhouse and £6.8m Lady M Yacht last year. It comes after Glasgow-born Mone and her billionaire husband Doug Barrowman had £75m worth of assets frozen by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The couple are at the centre of a fraud probe over the firm PPE Medpro, controlled by Barrowman, that was awarded £203m worth of UK Government contracts through a 'VIP lane' during the Covid-19 pandemic. READ MORE: Supreme Court's sex ruling faces legal tests – will they succeed? In November 2023, Mone finally admitted her involvement with PPE Medpro for the first time, after years of denying any links to the company. It then emerged Barrowman was reportedly paid at least £65m from PPE Medpro's profits, later transferring £29m into a trust for Mone and her three adult children. Several properties were frozen under the Proceeds of Crime Act in 2023. And now, Mone has reportedly sold her Glasgow homes. The Mail on Sunday reports that there is no suggestion any of the property sales breached any existing orders put in place by the NCA. One townhouse in Glasgow's plush Park Circus was bought by Barrowman's Knox business group for £1.7m in 2020. The couple have now reportedly sold this to a photographer for £2m last year. Another nearby townhouse was sold for £2.8m, allegedly to a Scottish musician, who was not named. It was bought in July 2020 for just over £1.4m. A spokesperson for the NCA confirmed an investigation is still ongoing into PPE Medpro. 'The NCA opened an investigation in May 2021 into suspected criminal offences committed in the procurement of PPE contracts by PPE Medpro,' they said. 'This ongoing investigation remains a priority for the agency. READ MORE: Scottish independence 'already begun as UK political culture diverges' 'Investigations must pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry. In serious economic crime investigations these lines of enquiry can be incredibly complex – from worldwide financial tracing exercises to the need to examine large volumes of digital material. 'In such cases it can take considerable time to ensure that a thorough, independent and objective investigation is conducted.' PPE Medpro is also being sued by the Department of Health and Social Care, amid claims that the gown supplied by the firm were not fit for use. We previously told how Mone accused the NCA of "smearing [her] as a criminal".
The National
a day ago
- Business
- The National
Michelle Mone makes 'millions in profits' after selling off Glasgow townhouses
The Scottish Mail on Sunday reports that Baroness Mone sold a £19m London townhouse and £6.8m Lady M Yacht last year. It comes after Glasgow-born Mone and her billionaire husband Doug Barrowman had £75m worth of assets frozen by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The couple are at the centre of a fraud probe over the firm PPE Medpro, controlled by Barrowman, that was awarded £203m worth of UK Government contracts through a 'VIP lane' during the Covid-19 pandemic. READ MORE: Supreme Court's sex ruling faces legal tests – will they succeed? In November 2023, Mone finally admitted her involvement with PPE Medpro for the first time, after years of denying any links to the company. It then emerged Barrowman was reportedly paid at least £65m from PPE Medpro's profits, later transferring £29m into a trust for Mone and her three adult children. Several properties were frozen under the Proceeds of Crime Act in 2023. And now, Mone has reportedly sold her Glasgow homes. The Mail on Sunday reports that there is no suggestion any of the property sales breached any existing orders put in place by the NCA. One townhouse in Glasgow's plush Park Circus was bought by Barrowman's Knox business group for £1.7m in 2020. The couple have now reportedly sold this to a photographer for £2m last year. Another nearby townhouse was sold for £2.8m, allegedly to a Scottish musician, who was not named. It was bought in July 2020 for just over £1.4m. A spokesperson for the NCA confirmed an investigation is still ongoing into PPE Medpro. 'The NCA opened an investigation in May 2021 into suspected criminal offences committed in the procurement of PPE contracts by PPE Medpro,' they said. 'This ongoing investigation remains a priority for the agency. READ MORE: Scottish independence 'already begun as UK political culture diverges' 'Investigations must pursue all reasonable lines of enquiry. In serious economic crime investigations these lines of enquiry can be incredibly complex – from worldwide financial tracing exercises to the need to examine large volumes of digital material. 'In such cases it can take considerable time to ensure that a thorough, independent and objective investigation is conducted.' PPE Medpro is also being sued by the Department of Health and Social Care, amid claims that the gown supplied by the firm were not fit for use. We previously told how Mone accused the NCA of "smearing [her] as a criminal".
Daily Record
29-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Prince Andrew business linked to controversial millionaire husband of Michelle Mone
A prized business overseen by Prince Andrew was reportedly administered by a company controlled by Michelle Mone's controversial husband . The royal, the younger brother of King Charles, transferred the ownership of his Dragon's Den style competition Prince@Palace Global to a firm linked to Doug Barrowman for two years. The move came after Prince Andrew's disastrous Newsnight interview in 2019. Barrowman and lingerie tycoon Mone are currently under investigation from the National Crime Agency for medical equipment fraud. The couple had said they had no links to a company which won large government contracts during the pandemic but Tory peer Mone later admitted this was a lie. A lawyer for Barrowman told the BBC he "at no time... had any business or personal involvement with the duke". Pitch@Palace Global remained Prince Andrew's company and under his control. But it was owned under the names of other people or companies acting on his behalf. This is in line with royal practice. But documents filed at Companies House show that from 2021 the nominee owner was Knox House Trustees (UK). Knox House Trustees (UK) was controleld and owned by Barrowman until 2023. Mone and Barrowman are being investigated over the links they had to a PPE firm which made millions in profit during the pandemic. PPE Medpro was awarded contracts worth £203million in 2020 after Mone, appointed to the House of Lords by David Cameron, approached Tory ministers. She initially denied having any 'association' with the firm , but finally admitted last month this had been a lie. PPE Medpro has been accused of delivering faulty equipment to the UK Government during the pandemic. Mone and Barrowman have denied the allegations against them and say the gowns worked properly. To sign up to the Daily Record Politics newsletter, click here
Daily Record
29-04-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Prince Andrew tied to controversial millionaire in fresh setback for King Charles
King Charles is preparing himself for another huge headache in relation to his younger brother, Prince Andrew, after fresh allegations have emerged about his firm's connection to a controversial PPE millionaire. The BBC reported that the Duke of York's business initiative, Pitch@Palace Global was administered for two years by Knox House Trustees (UK), which is a firm tied to contentious millionaire Doug Barrowman. Mr Barrowman and his wife, Baroness Michelle Mone, previously hit headlines when she confessed they had lied about their connection to a company that won large government PPE deals during the Covid-19 pandemic. The prince's firm passed its legal ownership to Knox House Trustees (UK) following Andrew's infamous Newsnight interview in 2019 regarding his ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which consequently led to him stepping down as a senior working royal, the Express reports. The BBC stated that Pitch@Palace Global "remained the prince's company, under his control" but, in line with longstanding royal practice, it was "owned under the names of other people or companies, acting on his behalf as so-called 'nominees'". Companies House filings confirmed that from February 2021, that "nominee" was Knox House Trustees (UK) which at the time was owned by Mr Barrowman until 2023. The millionaire's lawyer said he "at no time... had any business or personal involvement with the duke". Pitch@Palace was first founded in 2014 to "provide a platform for UK entrepreneurs to make transformational connections that could accelerate their businesses". The firm consisted of two parts, a UK-based version "set up as a community interest company, which cannot pay profits to shareholders" and an international arm - Pitch@Palace Global Ltd - which "was set up as a for-profit UK company", according to the outlet. Pitch@Palace Global was later founded in 2017, in the name of Andrew's private secretary, Amanda Thirsk. The international arm was set up as a possible way for Andrew to fund his lifestyle, after quitting his royal duties. Its legal ownership was transferred to Knox House Trustees (UK) Limited in February 2021 - a business set up the year before and for which Mr Barrowman is said to have had "significant influence and control" over it. The BBC reported that corporate filings in the Isle of Man show Knox House Trustees (UK) was "ultimately owned by Knox Limited, whose sole shareholder is Mr Barrowman". Knox House Trustees (UK) Ltd's ownership was transferred in 2023 to Arthur Lancaster who is an accountant linked to both the duke and Mr Barrowman. Mr Lancaster additionally took on the role of director and shareholder of PPE Medpro - a company Mr Barrowman and Baroness Mone had links with and which she admitted they had previously lied about. Mr Lancaster refused to comment on the situation according to The BBC. The couple both refute any wrongdoing but the National Crime Agency is now investigating suspected criminal offences at the firm. Mr Barrowman's also raised eyebrows in 2017 after HMRC investigated one of his companies - AML Tax (UK). It was found that the company aggressively promoted external tax avoidance schemes. It was fined £150,000 in 2022 as a result. Author Andrew Lownie, who is writing a biography of the prince, told the outlet: "Andrew has a long history of associating with dubious business figures and disguising his business activities behind nominee and offshore accounts. There really needs to be a full investigation into the duke's financial activities." Mr Barrowman's lawyer said in a statement: "Mr Lancaster was a director of KHT (UK) Ltd which provided company administration services to a number of external companies, including Pitch@Palace, a company wholly owned by the duke. Mr Lancaster acted for the duke in a personal capacity at all times and has been an associate of the duke for many years."
