Health Minister Abdulla Ameen has decided to step aside from duties, as authorities launch a probe into the findings of the report regarding the Ministry of Health’s Covid-19 related expenditure.
Ameen informed this to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih via a letter on Monday evening, shortly after the president ordered the Maldives Police Service and Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate the report’s findings.
In the letter, the health minister said that he is stepping aside from the duties until the investigation is complete, or the president informs him of a decision.
The Auditor General’s Office released its compliance audit report on the health ministry's Covid-19 related expenditure, on Sunday. It uncovered possible corruption in the procurement of ventilators from a Dubai-based company.
While the ministry had contracted Executors General Trading to import 75 ventilators as part of the government’s work to strengthen the country’s health care system amid the Covid-19 pandemic, it was previously implied by officials including the health minister, that this company was recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).
However, the compliance report notes that WHO officials had denied this and that there was no evidence of such a list by WHO, recommending the Dubai-based company.
Executors General Trading was awarded a MVR 34 million contract to import ventilators.
The report also revealed that Executors General Trading was contracted to procure the ventilators at “a higher price than other suppliers.”
While the Auditor General had called for in investigation on how the contract was awarded to Executors General Trading, an emergency motion over the matter was submitted to parliament on Monday. During the debate stage, a number of parliamentarians called for Ameen’s dismissal and the matter is also being reviewed by the parliament’s public accounts committee.
President Solih has also suspended several senior officials at the Ministry of Health, over the compliance audit. Those suspended include members of ministry’s bid committee, all political appointees.
