Faisal Shoukat found guilty of running bogus Covid testing lab

Faisal Shoukat, a former member of Calderdale Council, was found guilty of causing public nuisance, fraudulent trading, and money laundering following legal proceedings at Bradford Crown Court.

The legal fallout stems from the activities of RT Diagnostics, a Halifax-based enterprise established in March 2021 after the government invited private companies to help meet the demand for testing, including so-called 'Fit-to-Fly' tests. Prosecutors established that Shoukat, a 39-year-old pharmacist and Labour councillor at the time, acted as the controlling mind behind the company, serving as its manager for day-to-day operations. According to evidence presented in court, the firm relied on test kits sourced from Turkey that failed to meet established UK standards. Further scrutiny revealed profound structural and operational breakdowns at the facility, which was located at Park Works on Lister Lane.

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Medical safety inspectors who visited the premises likened the site to a building site, noting exposed ceilings, scattered rubbish, and evidence that individuals were living within the workspace. A video published by The Sun newspaper in July of that year alleged tests were being dumped in a side room and showed bin bags dumped outside. Customers encountered severe failures, ranging from unsealed delivery boxes to missing results and contradictory health declarations. In one instance, a customer was erroneously informed that both he and his spouse had contracted the virus, only to receive an email shortly after stating they had tested negative.

Statistical anomalies defined the operational output of RT Diagnostics. During its active window spanning two months, the laboratory logged hundreds of thousands of results while returning a remarkably small proportion of positive cases.

Metric	Figure
Total tests reported (May–July 2021)	138,738
Positive test results	45
Negative test results	138,692
Indeterminate results	1
Trustpilot one-star reviews	Almost 80% of 1,218 reviews

Giving evidence during the trial, one former staff member told the proceedings: They were inundated. I think they set out and meant well – and it was way, way, too much. Presiding over the case, His Honour Judge Chris Smith delivered sharp criticism regarding the corporate ethos behind the venture. In his remarks recorded by BBC News, the judge noted the commercial priorities driving the enterprise.

"The overriding thought at the time was simply to make money. Put simply, profit was put before professionalism and public safety."

His Honour Judge Chris Smith, Bradford Crown Court, via BBC

Judge Smith further condemned the organization's cavalier and careless approach to accreditation requirements and observed that many samples simply escaped proper evaluation, describing the testing and reporting systems as profoundly flawed.

The judicial path to these verdicts encountered extraordinary disruption. Deliberations were temporarily frozen in April when a member of the jury was arrested on suspicion of conspiring to pervert the course of justice, forcing the discharge of the original panel before the verdicts could be secured. Linda Davis, head of West Yorkshire Trading Standards Protecting Communities, emphasized the deceit involved in the enterprise.

"This long and complex investigation related to a substantial fraud that exploited the intense demand for testing during that period."

Linda Davis, West Yorkshire Trading Standards Protecting Communities, via BBC

While Shoukat absorbed liability for the enterprise's systemic collapse—disclosing during the trial that he received about £1.5m in shares from the firm—four other defendants standing trial alongside him escaped conviction. Former justice minister Shahid Malik, Lynn Connell, 65, of Wagon Farm, Ripponden, Paul Moore, 57, of Plober Street, Burnley, and Dr Alexander Zarneh, 71, of Wood Lane, Halifax, were entirely cleared of all charges. Mr Malik, 58, of Colne Rd, Burnley, was found not guilty of causing public nuisance, fraudulent trading, and money laundering. The court heard he was paid a similar amount in shares as a co-director, but was not involved in everyday management and lived outside of the UK for part of the company's short-lived tenure.

Breaking down in tears upon hearing the verdict, Mr Malik maintained his innocence throughout the painstaking judicial process. In a public statement following his acquittal, Mr Malik reflected on the toll of the proceedings.

"Today marks the end of perhaps the darkest chapter of my life. I am profoundly relieved and grateful that, after a painstaking five-year judicial process, I have been found not guilty of every criminal charge brought against me."

Shahid Malik, former co-director, via BBC

He added that he now looked forward to putting the extraordinarily difficult period behind him and moving forward with his life. Ms Connell, Mr Moore, and Dr Zarneh were all similarly found not guilty of causing a public nuisance and fraudulent trading.