Full Breakdown
Former Labour MP Shahid Malik Acquitted in RT Diagnostics Fraud Trial
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
Former Dewsbury MP Shahid Malik, 58, was found not guilty of fraudulent trading, causing a public nuisance and money-laundering in a non-jury trial at Bradford Crown Court. The trial, which began in October 2025, saw jurors discharged in April after an alleged jury-tampering incident; Judge Christopher Smith then assumed responsibility for the verdicts. Malik was one of five defendants charged over RT Diagnostics, a company prosecutors described as a “cash cow” exploiting the UK government’s test-and-trace expansion in March 2021.
Background & Context
RT Diagnostics was launched as the third national lockdown eased in March 2021, when the government sought to increase the number of laboratories processing PCR tests. Prosecutors argued the firm operated from “shoddy and inadequate premises” in Halifax and supplied home-testing kits sourced from Turkey that failed to meet UK standards. The company allegedly employed young, untrained staff without social distancing or personal protective equipment.
Data & Statistics
According to prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC, RT Diagnostics reported 123,104 PCR test results between May and July 2021, of which 123,058 were recorded as negative. In the three-week period from 22 May to 6 June 2021, the firm generated £6.674 million in revenue—about £318,000 per day.
Official Statements & Responses
Defence barrister Jonathan Laidlaw KC maintained that Malik’s involvement was “very limited,” describing him as a facilitator who provided funding and introductions but never visited the premises, spending most of the operational period abroad. The court accepted this characterization, leading to Malik’s acquittal. In contrast, Sandiford contended that the company’s practices resulted in untested samples being discarded and false negative results being reported, potentially allowing infectious individuals to leave isolation.
Impact and Significance
The verdict underscores challenges in policing rapid-scale pandemic testing initiatives and raises questions about oversight of private firms contracted during public health emergencies. While Malik’s political career remains untainted by a conviction, the case highlights the legal scrutiny applied to businesses that capitalised on emergency government programmes.