President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated his administration is committed to the task of eliminating corruption within state institutions.
Speaking at a press conference held on April 12, President Solih said the loss of Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP)’s majority in important city councils during the recent election suggests there is dissatisfaction among the people regarding issues such as housing and corruption. Acknowledging there are delays in fully resolving such issues, the President said roots of corruption are deeply spread into all branches of the state, as it has been for several years. However, he said this administration has been undertaking important efforts against corruption, and has achieved significant progress. In this regard, he noted the Maldives climbed 14 points and 55 ranking positions in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of 2020.
Speaking on the corruption involved in awarding the contract to Dubai’s Executors General Trading to procure ventilators to the Maldives, President Solih said the case was sent to Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) immediately upon the release of the audit report. The President said he believes independent institutions such as ACC should be allowed to operate free of influence, adding his administration is ready to provide any support and cooperation required by investigative authorities in relation to the case.
Last month, the government announced its decision to seek international arbitration over the ventilators which Executors General Trading failed to deliver to the Maldives as contracted. Speaking at a press conference held on March 31, Spokesperson at the President’s Office Mohamed Mabrook Azeez said the government has undertaken several efforts to procure the ventilators through Executors General Trading under the contract signed with the company in April last year. However, Mabrook said despite providing the company with multiple deadlines to procure the ventilators, the company has failed to deliver the ventilators to the Maldives. Therefore, Mabrook said the Attorney General’s Office has started proceedings to seek international arbitration with Executors General Trading to resolve the matter.
The COVID-19 compliance audit conducted on the health ministry by the Auditor General’s Office last year revealed Executors General Trading was paid 90% of the quoted price in advance to procure 75 ventilators in April 2020, of which only 15 have been procured so far. 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.
On October 14 last year, ACC forwarded charges against 11 officials of the Ministry of Health, including then-Minister Abdulla Ameen, over the irregularities in awarding the contract to Executors Generals Trading to procure 75 ventilators to the Maldives. However, the Prosecutor General’s Office declined the case upon review, and decided not to press any charges, citing the inadequate investigation conducted by ACC.
The case was placed under review again upon recommendation by the Parliamentary Committee on Judiciary to seek further information on the case from relevant investigative authorities including ACC and Maldives Police Service (MPS). Following the second review of the case, the PG Office maintained its decision not to press charges, stating the evidence provided by ACC does not fit the requirements for criminal prosecution. However, upon further concerns, PG Office decided to review the case for a third time to find any avenues for prosecution.