Former Labour MP and justice minister Shahid Malik has been found not guilty of charges linked to his role in a fraudulent Covid-19 testing company in the United Kingdom.
The court heard that Malik's involvement in the business was "very limited". The company generated £6.67 million over three weeks during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to reporting by The Guardian.
Malik, 58, represented Dewsbury in the UK Parliament from 2005 to 2010. During Gordon Brown's Labour government, he held ministerial roles in three departments, including as justice minister.
The verdict closes the case against Malik while leaving wider scrutiny of fraudulent activity in pandemic-era testing services. The rapid expansion of Covid-19 procurement and testing operations created substantial opportunities for private providers, alongside concerns about oversight and accountability.