Priti Patel, former Home Secretary, has been accused of a potential conflict of interest after receiving a £10,000 donation from a firm linked to a PPE contract fixer during the pandemic. The donation, declared to cover chauffeur costs, came from Sunbeam Consulting, owned by Kiran Jassal, wife of Samir Jassal. Samir Jassal, a Conservative councillor, played a crucial role in securing two lucrative PPE deals worth £131 million with Pharmaceuticals Direct at the height of COVID-19.
Documents reveal that Patel, during her time in office, lobbied internally to help Pharmaceuticals Direct secure a contract for 60 million IIR masks, worth £28.8 million. In return for his services, Samir Jassal reportedly received £16.37 million from the deals via his company, Dymon Cap Limited, according to leaked invoices.
The connection between the donation and Patel’s involvement has raised eyebrows. Jo Maugham, executive director of Good Law Project, expressed concern, stating, “It does look as though the Jassal family is scratching the back of Priti Patel who once scratched theirs. The problem arises if, as may well be the case, the back scratching is done using the profits from lucrative public contracts.”
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