CARILLION PASSES BUCK
Carillion’s former fatcat bosses yesterday blamed the Government for the firm’s collapse.
Keith Cochrane, its last chief executive, said banks pulled the plug after ministers refused it a £20million loan.
The company went to the wall two days later, on January 15.
Cochrane told MPs: “I was somewhat perplexed they were unable to give us that support.”
He also insisted the money would have been repaid after a shake-up.
But Meg Hillier, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, accused Carillion’s bosses of “holding a gun to the head of the Government”.
MPs heard that detailed information on Carillion’s finances was requested by the Government last October before the firm drew up a “liquidation scenario”.
Cochrane’s predecessor, Richard Howson, told MPs it asked International Trade Secretary Liam Fox for help to recover debts from big customers in Oman and Qatar in April or May 2017, money which it’s said added to Carillion’s downfall.
Qatari contractor Msheireb denied claims that it owed Carillion £200m.