Former MP Shahid Malik cleared in judge-only trial over RT Diagnostics
Former Labour MP and minister Shahid Malik was found not guilty of fraudulent trading, causing a public nuisance and money laundering over the Covid-19 testing firm RT Diagnostics. A judge decided the verdicts after the jury was discharged over an allegation of jury tampering.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Shahid Malik, 58, a former Labour MP and justice minister, was found not guilty on Thursday 8 October of fraudulent trading, causing a public nuisance and money laundering over his role in RT Diagnostics, a Covid-19 testing company. Evening StandardN “On Thursday, he cleared Mr Malik of fraudulent trading, causing a public nuisance and money laundering.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ The GuardianLC “Malik was found not guilty of fraudulent trading, causing a public nuisance and money laundering in a trial at Bradford crown court” Read at The Guardian ↗ Mixed · 2The trial at Bradford Crown Court began in October last year, and jurors began deliberating in March. In April they were discharged after an allegation of jury tampering, and Judge Christopher Smith decided to continue without a jury and give the verdicts himself. Evening StandardN “Judge Smith took the decision to continue the trial without the jury, with him deciding on the verdicts.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ The GuardianLC “The trial began in October last year and jurors were sent out to start their deliberations in March. In April, they were discharged by Judge Smith after an allegation of jury tampering.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Centre · 1Faisal Shoukat, 39, a pharmacist and former Labour councillor who the court heard started the business with Malik, challenged the judge's ruling that he could deliver the verdicts himself. Three Court of Appeal judges refused him leave to appeal last week and lifted reporting restrictions on the case. Shoukat was found guilty of all three offences. Evening StandardN “Judge Smith’s ruling that he could deliver verdicts himself was challenged by Shoukat, but last week three judges at the Court of Appeal refused him leave to appeal.”“Shoukat was found guilty of all three offences.” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Mixed · 2Malik was one of five people charged. Paul Moore, 57, who had a senior role in the company and had been Malik's office manager when he was an MP, was cleared of causing a public nuisance and fraudulent trading. So were Lynn Connell, 64, a manager, and Alexander Zarneh, 70, the clinical director. The GuardianLC “Paul Moore, 57, who had a senior role in RT Diagnostics and was Malik’s office manager when he was an MP, was cleared of causing a public nuisance and of fraudulent trading.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Evening StandardN “Lynn Connell, 64, a manager at the company, and registered scientist Alexander Zarneh, 70, who was its clinical director, were also cleared of the same two offences.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Mixed · 2Prosecutors said RT Diagnostics was a "cash cow" set up in March 2021 to take advantage of the government's expanding test-and-trace system, and that it made £6.67m in three weeks. They said it operated from "shoddy and inadequate premises" in Halifax, West Yorkshire, with holes in the walls and ceilings and rubbish strewn around, and gave out false negative results. Evening StandardN “Prosecutors said RT Diagnostics, which made £6.67 million in three weeks, was set up in “shoddy and inadequate premises” in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and gave out false negative results to customers.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ The GuardianLC “a company that prosecutors said was a “cash cow” set up to take advantage of the UK government’s expanding test-and-trace system in March 2021.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Centre · 1The court heard the company employed young people with little or no training in handling Covid-19 samples, with no social distancing or personal protective equipment. Prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC said only 45 of more than 123,000 results submitted between May and July 2021 were positive, and that some returned samples were not tested but "dumped in a room". Evening StandardN “Just 45 out of more than 123,000 test results submitted to the national database between May and July 2021 were reported to be positive, the court heard.”“some of the test samples that were returned by consumers to the laboratory were not tested but simply dumped in a room on the premises” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Mixed · 2Defence barrister Jonathan Laidlaw KC told the court Malik's role was "very limited indeed" and that he was "a facilitator – putting the money up and making introductions". Laidlaw said Malik never visited the premises while it operated, was abroad for most of that time, and that there was no evidence he was told of its problems. He argued that making money from the company "can’t possibly be the basis for a guilty verdict". The GuardianLC “Laidlaw said Malik never went to the premises when it was in operation.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Evening StandardN “Mr Laidlaw said the fact that the former MP had made money from RT Diagnostics “can’t possibly be the basis for a guilty verdict”.” Read at Evening Standard ↗ Mixed · 2Malik was MP for Dewsbury from 2005 to 2010 and held ministerial posts in Gordon Brown's government, including international development, justice, and communities and local government. The Guardian notes that he and Sadiq Khan were the first British-born Muslims to become MPs, and that he was the first to become a government minister. The GuardianLC “Along with Sadiq Khan, Malik was the first British-born Muslim to become an MP and the first to become a government minister.” Read at The Guardian ↗ Evening StandardN “who became the MP for Dewsbury in 2005 and was a justice minister and communities minister before losing his seat in the 2010 election” Read at Evening Standard ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- The Guardian leads with the acquittal of a 'Former Labour MP', with the defence's 'very limited' role argument in its standfirst.
- Emphasis
- Malik's Labour and ministerial career and his status as the first British-born Muslim minister; the defence case.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits the Court of Appeal refusal of Shoukat's challenge, the 45-of-123,000 positive-results figure and the untested samples.
- Charged language
- “fraudulent Covid-19 testing company”
- For example
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“Court hears former justice minister Shahid Malik had only ‘very limited’ role in business that made £6.67m in three weeks” — The Guardian
“which was, unusually, conducted without a jury” — The Guardian
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- The Evening Standard reports the acquittal in a trial without a jury, calling the firm 'bogus' in its headline and detailing the prosecution case.
- Emphasis
- Prosecution evidence on conditions and test results, and the Court of Appeal refusal of Shoukat's challenge to the judge-only ruling.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention Malik's place as the first British-born Muslim minister.
- Charged language
- “bogus Covid-19 testing firm”“cash cow”
- For example
-
“Former MP cleared of role in bogus Covid-19 testing firm in trial without jury” — Evening Standard
““People who complained enough got told their result was negative, when in fact their sample had not been tested.”” — Evening Standard
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Malik was found not guilty of fraudulent trading, causing a public nuisance and money laundering.
- The verdicts were delivered by Judge Smith at Bradford Crown Court after the jury was discharged over an allegation of jury tampering.
- Faisal Shoukat was convicted of all three offences; Moore, Connell and Zarneh were cleared of two offences.
- Prosecutors said the firm made £6.67m in three weeks from a Halifax laboratory and gave false negative results.
Shahid Malik person
Through his barrister Jonathan Laidlaw KC, Malik's defence said his role was 'very limited indeed', that of a facilitator who put up money and made introductions, and that he was abroad for most of the time the firm operated. He was acquitted of all three charges.
“he had acted as “a facilitator – putting the money up and making introductions”.” — The Guardian
RT Diagnostics organisation
Prosecutors described RT Diagnostics as a 'cash cow' that operated from inadequate premises and gave false negative results. The judge convicted co-founder Faisal Shoukat of all three offences.
“Shoukat was found guilty of all three offences.” — Evening Standard
““generated a suspiciously low number of positive results”” — Evening Standard
Left1 article
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Former Labour MP cleared over role in fraudulent Covid-19 testing company
Neutral Court report that foregrounds Malik's Labour and ministerial background and the defence's 'very limited' role argument.
Centre1 article
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Former MP cleared of role in bogus Covid-19 testing firm in trial without jury
Neutral Straight court report that gives the prosecution's evidence in detail alongside the defence's argument and the appeal ruling.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 8 Oct 14:11 First Evening StandardN Former MP cleared of role in bogus Covid-19 testing firm in trial without jury
- 8 Oct 15:06 +55m The GuardianLC Former Labour MP cleared over role in fraudulent Covid-19 testing company
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.