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Ruling party pushes Health Minister Ameen's no-confidence vote to Parliament

Shahudha Mohamed
20 October 2020, MVT 18:43
Minister Ameen was summoned for questionaing by ACC in connection to the investigation launched following the controversial handover of 149 ventilators tendered by the Ministry of Health. PHOTO: MINISTRY OF HEALTH
Shahudha Mohamed
20 October 2020, MVT 18:43

The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), on Tuesday, submitted a no-confidence motion against Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen to the Parliament, with the accusation that he had "robbed state funds".

A number of MDP members launched efforts to push a no-confidence vote against Ameen after the party's Parliamentary group had voted against dismissing him from the cabinet earlier the same day.

The censure motion was submitted to the Parliament by the representative of Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll's Madaveli constituency Hussain Firushan, with the signatures of 24 parliament members including him.

According to a tweet by Firushan, the motion was submitted under Article (a) of Section 101 of the Constitution, as the Parliament believes Ameen is no longer fit to remain in his ministerial position.

This move by MDP comes swiftly after the Prosecutor General's Office concluded that the evidence was not sufficient enough to press criminal charges against any individuals involved in the Ministry of Health's controversial procurement of 149 ventilators, including Minister Ameen.

On October 14, the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) requested the PG Office to press charges against Minister Ameen, Financial Controller Ahmed Aslam, two individuals that had reviewed and signed off on documents, in addition to several senior officials sitting on the health ministry's bid committee.

ACC launched a joint investigation with the Maldives Police Service in August, 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.

Per the audit, 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.

The report compiled by ACC alleged that the bid committee did not conduct due diligence concerning Executors General Trading since 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.

After being summoned to the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, the minister and other staff maintained that they had operated in line with the Public Finance Act and relevant procedures to procure the ventilators, asserting that nothing was done to facilitate corruption or illicit enrichment for any entities.

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