PPE Medpro's lead barrister Charles Samek KC closed the case, framing it as an instance of buyer's remorse from the government after the rushed PPE procurement during Covid-19. He argued that the government approved the gowns despite later contamination, claiming it occurred under the DHSC's control. Samek challenged the government's sterility claims, highlighting flawed testing and the gowns' risky transportation and storage. He pointed to diverse microorganisms found on the gowns as evidence supporting this narrative. Justice Cockerill recognized the evolving arguments from the DHSC throughout the proceedings.
"We gave them everything we had. They looked at it. They assessed it. They said, yes, that's all fine... The gowns are approved," Samek told the court, arguing that the government had knowingly signed off on PPE Medpro's offer during the Covid-19 procurement rush - only to regret it later amid public scrutiny and political fallout.
The exotic microorganisms later found on the gowns - many of which originate from deep-sea trenches, desert climates, and even outer space - support this theory, Samek argued.
"This isn't a case where there are just one or two unexpected [microorganisms] but more than that... all at the same time, which is a very odd occurrence," he said. "The nature of the microbial contamination, particularly the fact that the species are found in such diverse habitats... suggests a plausible reason how contamination could have occurred."
In a rare intervention, Mrs Justice Cockerill acknowledged the evolution of the government's arguments during the proceedings: "There is no doubt at all that the focus of the way this case is put [by the DHSC] has shifted."
Collection
[
|
...
]