Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has decided not to press any charges against officials of the Ministry of Health in relation to contracting Dubai-based Executors General Trading to procure ventilators to the Maldives.
On October 14, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) forwarded charges against 11 officials of the health ministry, including Health Minister Abdulla Ameen, over the irregularities in awarding the contract to Executors Generals Trading to procure 75 ventilators to the Maldives. However, PGO has declined the case upon review, and decided not to press any charges.
Speaking at a press conference, Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem said ACC had not collected enough evidence in its investigation to prove the charges against any of the 11 officials of the health ministry involved in the case. Noting the PGO cannot press charges without the possibility of proving them in court, Shameem said the ACC investigation was not adequate to press criminal charges against anyone. He noted although there are several administrative issues in procuring ventilators through Executors General Trading, there are no issues which can be picked up by the PGO to press criminal charges.
Irregularities in awarding contracts for ventilator procurement were first identified in the COVID-19 compliance audit conducted on the health ministry by the Auditor General’s Office. The audit report revealed Executors General Trading was paid 90% of the quoted price in advance to procure 75 ventilators in April, whilst no ventilators were procured despite several months having passed since signing the contract. The audit report also revealed the company was selected without assessing its financial and technical capabilities, in addition to not obtaining advance payment and performance guarantees.
ACC stated information was collected from 8 different institutions during the investigation with the commission evaluating 1,600 documents and 500 emails to probe into the case. Additionally, ACC said it had collected 36 statements and various bank statements to investigate the case.
Following the investigation, ACC concluded the contract was awarded to Executors General Trading without due diligence and technical evaluations. The investigations also found Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen guilty of misusing official capacity and influencing the contract award as he encouraged awarding the contract to Executors General Trading and making the 75% advanced payment and 15% percent of balance payment. ACC noted the contract violated Public Finance Regulations.
In addition to Minister Ameen, ACC had forwarded charges against Deputy Ministers Nishama Mohamed and Shiyama Mohamed, Directors Naushad Ali and Ahmed Aslam, Deputy Director General Abdulla Shareef, Assistant Directors Abdulla Hafeez and Fathimath Limya, Legal Officer Ali Shiham, Assistant Administrative Officer Hussain Niyaz, and Bid Committee Member Aminath Shaufa.