Faisal Shoukat, a former Calderdale Council councillor, has been found guilty of operating a fraudulent coronavirus testing laboratory during the Covid-19 pandemic. A trial at Bradford Crown Court concluded with Shoukat's conviction for causing public nuisance, fraudulent trading, and money laundering.
Four co-defendants, including former justice minister Shahid Malik, Lynn Connell, Paul Moore, and Dr Alexander Zarneh, were acquitted of all charges. The verdicts were delivered by His Honour Judge Chris Smith after the jury was discharged in April due to the arrest of a panel member.
RT Diagnostics was established in March 2021, with Shoukat and Mr Malik listed as directors. Prosecutors described 39-year-old Shoukat, who was a Labour councillor at the time, as the "controlling mind" of the Halifax-based company. The court heard that test kits sourced from Turkey did not meet UK standards, and the lab returned a "suspiciously low" number of positive tests. Between May and July 2021, out of 123,104 tests reported, only 45 were positive.
A video published by The Sun newspaper in July 2021 reportedly showed tests being discarded and the firm's laboratory in poor condition. Medical safety inspectors described the site as a "building site" and noted evidence of people living there. Judge Smith criticised the company's "cavalier" and "careless" approach to the accreditation process.