The Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has requested the Prosecutor General's Office to press charges against four employees of Addu Equatorial Hospital (AEH) over purchasing of medical consumables at prices above the market rate. 

The ACC is seeking to press charges against AEH Procurement Department Head Mohamed Saain Ahmed, Bid Committee Chairperson Azeem Latheef, and two Bid Committee members, Abdulla Waheed and Dr. Fathimath Amaany Naseer. 

In a statement issued tonight, the ACC said that the matter came to light in relation to an announcement issued by AEH seeking to purchase a four-month supply of micropipette tips, a type of medical laboratory consumable, for AEH and health centres operated under the hospital. 

The announcement sought supply of 40,000 micropipette tips, for which only one party submitted a bid. The ACC said that their subsequent investigation found that the AEH employees had failed to review whether the quoted price was appropriate, and had purchased the goods in violation of the Public Finance regulations. 

ACC has asked the PG Office to press charges of abuse of official position, as well as charges of acting in a manner detrimental to the State's interests against the four employees.

The ACC has also directed administrative inquiries against the four employees, to evaluate the amount of loss their actions have caused to the State, and to recover these funds for the State.