A NEW documentary funded by a company linked with Michelle Mone shows the Tory peer and businesswoman played “high-risk games” by having lawyers issue legal threats to the press, according to an expert.
The documentary – funded by PPE Medpro – has exposed “dishonest statements” by Baroness Mone who previously denied her links with the firm, according to Dr Nick McKerrell, a senior law lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University.
Speaking in the film, the Glasgow-born businesswoman said: “I made an error in what I said to the press.
“I regret not saying to the press straight away, ‘Yes, I am involved.’ And the Government knew I was involved.”
McKerrell (above) told The National the admission may harm her case “in the court of public opinion” but would not affect the ongoing court case against PPE Medpro.
READ MORE: UK Government launches legal action against Michelle Mone-linked PPE firm
“To tell a lie, if you do it outwith court, even in a lawyer’s letter, isn’t an offence,” he said.
“As a journalist you’ll get emails like that saying: ‘This is defamatory’. It doesn’t mean anything, in a sense.
“It’s a high-risk game because they’re saying: ‘I’m going to take legal action against you’. And the newspaper, website, whatever, has to take the judgment call – are they serious, are they going to do this?”
He added: “It’s exposed dishonest statements that she’s made.”
Baroness Mone was exposed in a number of newspaper reports to have links with PPE Medpro, currently being sued by the UK Government for providing it with unusable safety kit for medics during the pandemic.
The firm was awarded contracts worth £203m to supply PPE but is now facing accusations from the Government of a breach of contract because around £122m worth of gowns were faulty.
PPE Medpro has denied the goods were faulty, the paper reported.
Baroness Mone also used her appearance in the documentary to insist the Government was made aware of her links with the firm – despite lawyers acting on her behalf sending legal threats to journalists who exposed her involvement with the company.
Bank documents leaked in November last year showed her husband Doug Barrowman (above) was paid at least £65m out of PPE Medpro’s profits, with £29m going to an offshore trust from which Baroness Mone and her three adult children benefit.
The Guardian previously described her lawyers as issuing “aggressive legal threats” to journalists.
The Byline Times website reported PPE Medpro’s lawyers had also issued threats to them and to the Financial Times.
The site quoted one response as reading: “Thanks for your email. Your email has been sent onto our legal lawyer as your comments are defamatory! We are putting you on notice and you will hear from us by tomorrow.”
Another sent to the Financial Times quoted in the piece read: “We have sent your email to our media lawyer who will be closely watching what you publish. Ensure that you consult your editor.”
Baroness Mone did not respond to a request for comment.
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