ACC seeks charges against ex IGMH CEO and Dr. Ali Latheef for PCR test corruption

The Anti Corruption Commission of Maldives has requested Prosecutor General's (PG) Office to charge former CEO of Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) Ahmed Saleem and Technical Advisory Group Member during the Covid-19 pandemic Dr. Ali Latheef as well as a third individual identified as the hospital's former Head of Laboratory Dr. Milza Abdul Muhsin.

The trio are being charged for allegedly giving reagents used for PCR testing at the IGMH laboratory to a private company; one which they benefited from.

ACC named the private company to be RMLS Lab Services and detailed that by allowing the company to have access to the reagents, the three accused individuals engaged in seeking illicit benefits and providing illicit benefits to another party.

As such, the Commission is requesting the PG Office to charge them with misuse of official position.

Additionally, ACC said that investigations also suggest RMLS and Dr. Ali Latheef have committed money laundering, and that this case has been forwarded to Maldives Police Service as a separate case.

Further, ACC also requested Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA) to look into Dr. Ali Latheef's tax documents submitted to MIRA, as the Commission believes he has misrepresented his finances in those documents.

ACC said it has also escalated their concerns regarding both Dr. Ali Latheef and Dr. Milza to the Maldives Medical Council, and a request has been made to inform the Commission of any action required against the two doctors.