The Ministry of Health, on Wednesday, confirmed the import of five additional ventilators from Dubai-based Executors General Trading LLC.
Commissioner of Quality Assurance at the Health Ministry Thasleema Usman stated that the procured equipment consisted of Dräger brand ventilators as specified under agreements.
She added that ADK General Trading, the authourised distributor of Dräger products in Maldives, had informed the ministry to officially collect the ventilators.
After a previous shipment of Dräger ventilators was imported without the involvement of ADK General Trading, the company issued a statement criticising the decision and expressed readiness to facilitate import.
With the latest shipment, Executors has delivered a total of 15 ventilators to Maldives. The dubai based company is required to import 60 more ventilators.
While only 15 of the 75 contracted ventilators have arrived in Maldives, the dealings between Exchequers and the Health Ministry are now under scrutiny due to suspicions of corruption highlighted by the Auditor General's Office.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Maldives Police Service launched a joint investigation after the Auditor General's Office published a compliance audit on the Ministry of Health's COVID-19 expenditure, revealing that the ministry had spent over MVR 30 million in violation of the Public Finance Act.
As part of the government's COVID-19 response efforts, the health ministry had signed agreements with Naadu Pvt Ltd to procure 24 ventilators and MedTech Maldives Pvt Ltd to secure 50 ventilators, in addition to the 75 ventilators from Dubai-based Executors General Trading LLC.
As per the audit report, the health ministry's negotiations with Executors were rife with corruption, including false claims that the order was placed following a recommendation by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The state has already paid MVR 30.9 million in advance for the 75 ventilators, covering 90 percent of the total cost of MVR 34 million.
A report compiled by ACC asserted that the health ministry's bid committee failed to conduct due diligence concerning Executors General Trading since then-Minister Ameen had presented the company as having been recommended by WHO. The report added that advance payment was made to the Dubai-based company using false documentation concerning the receipt of 65 mechanical ventilators and 10 portable ventilators, despite the fact that the goods were not sent to Maldives.
Additionally, the 10 ventilators previously provided by Executors did not meet standards stipulated in the agreements and subsequently could not be used to treat COVID-19 patients.
Furthermore, while all three contracted companies failed to procure the equipment before the specified deadline, Naadu Pvt Ltd and MedTech Maldives have now delivered all the ventilators the government procured from them.
Following the completion of the joint investigation, ACC forwarded the case to the PG Office on October 14. ACC sought charges against former Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen, Financial Controller Ahmed Aslam, and two individuals that had reviewed and signed off on documents, in addition to several senior officials sitting on the health ministry's bid committee.
However, Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem asserted that the evidence collected was insufficient to press criminal charges.
ACC has now requested the PG Office to review its decision regarding the high profile corruption case.
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