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30 Oct, 8 tweets, 3 min read
THREAD: Thermoplastics Ltd.

Are major PPE contracts issued under emergency Covid regulations going to tax-avoiding companies, such as those listed in the Panama Papers?
We’ve found one contract issued under the emergency regulations going to Thermoplastics Ltd. It was awarded a £23.3 million contract for the supply of face shields on 30th April. Nothing wrong there.

ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NO…

contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/09909bc…
Thermoplastics Ltd have been operating since 1996, specialising in injection moulded plastic products such as toys, fittings, and more recently face visors.

But the address listed for the company on the contract is: A16A Industrial Estate, Marsa, MT MALTA, MRS-3000, Malta.
When we cross-referenced this address with the famous Panama Papers Offshore Leaks database, it showed that the company - and it's director, Kenneth Caruana - are…listed on there:

offshoreleaks.icij.org/nodes/55010897
In fact, ALL of Caruana's companies are featured in the Offshore Leaks; Thermoplastics AND Aero Technik Ltd:

offshoreleaks.icij.org/nodes/55040156

AND Kencar Company Ltd:

offshoreleaks.icij.org/nodes/55044255
Panama Papers list the auditors of Caruana’s Malta-based Thermoplastics as Nexia BT.

NBT’s owner - Brian Tonna - was arrested last month following investigations into allegations of helping the Maltese PM’s chief of staff receive passport sale kickbacks:
lovinmalta.com/news/breaking-…
So... has a £23 million British COVID contract gone to a company who seems to off-shore its profits, and whose one-time auditor is under investigation? Does anyone in the UK government know? Or indeed care?
While there are no allegations of wrongdoing by Thermoplastics, do our questions need answering? Are you willing to help @allthecitizens reveal possibly concerning COVID-19 contracts? If so, please see the thread below to find out how you can contribute:

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The Citizens Profile picture
29 Oct
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The Citizens Profile picture
28 Oct
Thread:

Have public servants been profiting from the pandemic while at the same time holding roles influencing pandemic policy?

The Behavioural Insights Unit is working closely on pandemic response, but should we be concerned its director sits on the SAGE advisory board? Image
We know that the BIT won 2 contracts in September totalling £1,162,000 for “Business analysis consultancy” and “research and experimental development services” providing behavioural science support during the pandemic:

contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/eea2276…

contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/21a2a10… ImageImage
We know that BIT or the ‘Nudge Unit’ - Behavioural Insights Ltd - works across the public sector to influence policy and inform public opinion.

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bi.team/what-we-do/our…
Read 9 tweets
The Citizens Profile picture
27 Oct
THREAD:

Have you heard of the Exclusive Brethren?

An evangelical sect of Christianity with ties to the Conservative Party, with members sitting as directors on the boards of a large number of firms awarded huge value contracts during the pandemic...
@allthecitizens have found more contracts relating to Conservative-linked religious group the Exclusive (Plymouth Brethren).

The total amount now accrued by the network and it's associated companies sits at over £950,940,450
Contracts spanning 11 companies affiliated with the Brethren have now reached this figure, with the total potentially even higher, as some awards are group contracts which don't offer a breakdown of cost (see the Toffeln Ltd agreement below):

contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/d52e875…
Read 9 tweets
The Citizens Profile picture
26 Oct
Throughout the pandemic, multiple contracts have been handed out to small firms with no background in PPE delivery, or with opaque financial histories, issued hastily under the emergency procurement legislation.
For instance, there's Bellagio Global Ltd, incorporated 2019, who won a £2,800,000 contract for 'protective and safety clothing' in April under emergency rules.

Bellagio sells watches and ‘VIP gifts’ (pens, robes, jewellery), and its director used to own ‘football watch shop'.
Bellagio has filed no financials as of yet, and the directors have operated related entities in the past, largely dissolved or dormant.
Read 6 tweets
The Citizens Profile picture
23 Oct
We have spent months looking at UK gov Covid 19 contracts, and wondered if major Tory Donors are winning any? What of Alpha Solway - does it have links to a Conservative party donor club? It won 6 PPE contracts worth nearly £11 million:
Alpha Solway is a PPE manufacturing firm for the oil, gas, manufacturing and food sectors, and part of the Globus Group (alongside Globus (Shetland) Ltd, Showa, Vision Lab (Ormskirk) Ltd, and Haika).

ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NO…

ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NO…

ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NO…
The firm has received 6 contracts totalling £10,655,180 since March.

ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NO…

ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NO…

ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NO…
Read 6 tweets
The Citizens Profile picture
23 Oct
We need your help! We’ve looked at 1000+ contracts issued by the UK gov in response to COVID-19. These total £11.2+ billion of public money given to private companies. Help us scrutinise and improve the data - viewable here: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d…
Can you help us examine this contract list and tell us if you find something that hasn’t already been written about? We need help in both ensuring this contract dataset is the best it can be, and help in investigating it to ensure transparency and accountability.
If you want to help us ensure that the contract data is the best it can be - please read this thread about how to help us improve the data:
Read 8 tweets

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