Former Labour MP Shahid Malik acquitted in Covid testing fraud trial without jury

Former Labour MP Shahid Malik, a former justice and communities minister, was acquitted of three counts related to the RT Diagnostics Covid-19 testing centre. The case shifted to a judge-only trial when a juror was detained for suspected jury tampering, prompting Judge Christopher Smith to discharge the jury. While Malik was cleared of fraudulent trading, public nuisance and money-laundering, his business partner Faisal Shoukat was found guilty of all three offences.

Other individuals linked to the firm—Paul Moore, Lynn Connell and Alexander Zarneh—were also cleared of the same charges. Prosecutors described RT Diagnostics as a “cash cow” that operated from substandard premises in Halifax, delivering false-negative results and dumping untested samples. Defence counsel argued Malik’s involvement was limited to financing and introductions, noting he was abroad for most of the operation.