JD Sports has described the covert filming of its executive chairman, Peter Cowgill, as “highly irregular and potentially illegal” and denied any wrongdoing after the footage captured a meeting between the businessman and his counterpart at Footasylum, the trainer retailer.
JD bought Footasylum for £90m in 2019, but the deal became the subject of a review by the competition watchdog. Last week, the Competition and Markets Authority ordered JD to sell Footasylum, after concluding the takeover had reduced competition for high street shoppers.
The video recording, which has been seen by the Sunday Times, has sparked a fresh investigation by the competition regulator. The footage reportedly shows Cowgill sitting in his car with Barry Bown, the
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