Doug Barrowman Jail: Accusations have been made against Doug Barrowman, the husband of Conservative peer Michelle Mone, regarding his alleged involvement in a large-scale corporate tax evasion scheme. Prosecutors assert that Barrowman, along with six other British businessmen, will face trial in Spain this spring on charges of tax evasion and misappropriation linked to a disputed invoice.
While Barrowman and his co-defendants maintain their innocence, The Daily Record reports that if found guilty, he could potentially face a prison sentence of two and a half years. The newspaper has obtained a four-page indictment outlining the case, which alleges that Barrowman, along with two other investors, participated in two meetings of B3 Cable Solutions in 2008. During these meetings, an invoice worth €6.3 million (£5.5 million) was reportedly “ratified” and approved in the company’s accounts.
Spanish authorities claim that the payment stated in the invoice was intended for personal gain, as purported connections between Barrowman and UK firm Axis Ventura, the recipient of the €6.3 million (£5.5 million) payment, have been identified. Barrowman’s defense team argues that he held neither shares nor a directorial position at Axis when the invoice was generated and paid.
Axis utilized €18.8 million in financing from Landsbanski to acquire B3 Cable Solutions Spain, a cable provider in the northern region of Spain. However, B3 later became defunct in 2012. According to the indictment, Barrowman severed his ties with Axis on March 18, 2008, four months prior to the payment of the invoice, which was subsequently used in part to offset B3’s corporation tax bill by €1.6 million.
Furthermore, the indictment claims that Spain’s Treasury was deceived out of over €0.5 million and calls for B3 to be repaid.