July 14, 2026, 6:55 p.mJuly 14, 2026, 6:55 p.m
He was Prime Minister during the corona pandemic: Boris Johnson.Image: keystone
According to a public investigation, the British central government and regional governments wasted almost ten billion pounds (around 10.8 billion francs) on the purchase of protective equipment during the corona pandemic. This emerges from the fifth report of an investigation led by retired judge Heather Hallett, the British news agency PA reported.
The waste of taxpayer money was “huge,” criticized Hallett. According to the report, it affects two thirds of the funds spent on protective equipment. Tens of millions were also spent on unusable equipment.
Boris Johnson doesn’t want to hear any criticism
The investigation found no evidence of nepotism or corruption. Nevertheless, the wrong priorities were set with a fast track for orders brokered by members of the government. This was a misguided and unfair system that undermined public trust in procurement. Contracts reached this way were more expensive and caused more problems than those reached through traditional means, the report continued.
The chaotic handling of the coronavirus pandemic brought the British government of then Prime Minister Boris Johnson major criticism. According to Johns Hopkins University in the US, more than 220,000 people died with a Covid-19 infection in the UK, out of a total of 24.7 million infections.
The ex-prime minister reacted with incomprehension after the report was published. According to PA, he does not need to be lectured by an investigation into his government’s handling of the pandemic. “We have procured a lot of protective equipment at an incredible speed and I am very proud of the result,” said Johnson. (sda/dpa)