Majlis passes to seek review of ventilator corruption case, at PGO

The People’s Majlis has passed to seek from the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) to review its decision against pressing charges in the case regarding the ventilator scandal.

On October 20, PGO declined the case and decided against pressing charges, citing insufficient evidence, and PG Hussain Shameem later stated that the case was forwarded for prosecution without completing the duty prosecution stage. This was highlighted during a meeting with the parliamentary committee on independent institutions.

Following this, the parliamentary judiciary committee had investigated the case and compiled a report, which was submitted to the parliament during Monday’s hearing.

50 parliamentarians voted in favor of passing the report.

In the report, the committee made three proposals; to seek from the PGO to collect additional information regarding relevant authorities such as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Maldives Police Service (MPS) in connection to the case, collecting the relevant information regarding the case from investigative institutions before pressing charges and for the PGO to share their final decisions after reviewing the case, with the judiciary committee.

At a time there have been differences between the corruption watchdog and PGO’s opinions in connection to the case, the Speaker of Parliament and Former President Mohamed Nasheed has stated that the parliament must follow the case closely until the case concludes.

During Monday’s debate on the committee report, parliamentarians also stressed on the importance of the parliament paying close attention to the ventilator case.

On October 25, the corruption watchdog sought from the PGO to review the case as well, as investigations found enough evidence that government officials had worked to acquire undue benefits, against the country’s laws.

Shameem earlier noted that he does not believe ACC was hasty to conclude the investigation regarding the major corruption involving the procurement of ventilators through Dubai-based Executors General Trading in support of the government’s response efforts against the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Responding to the PG’s claims, ACC President Mariyam Shiuna stated that duty prosecution is not mandated under the Maldivian laws and that it is a practice. She stressed that having to complete duty prosecution paves delays in investigation.

The Ministry of Health initially contracted Executors General Trading based in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, to deliver 75 ventilators during March 2020. The contract was worth MVR 34.50 million and there were reports of wrongdoings in the ministry’s expenses for the project, according to a special audit report following which the corruption watchdog and Maldives Police Service (MPS) investigated, followed by the PGO.

ACC sought charges against 11 ministry officials including the minister after concluding investigations, however, PGO declined the case and decided against pressing charges on October 20. PG Shameem had revealed that although there were administrative issues, ultimately the PGO will seek more evidence in order to raise criminal charges, adding that said administrative wrongdoings have raised the question whether the ministry officials had acted responsibly.

Individuals ACC sought charges against include; former Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen, Assistant Director and Bid Committee member Fathimath Limya, Director (finance executive) Ahmed Aslam, Deputy Minister Shiyama Mohamed, Legal Officer Ali Shiham, Assistant Director Abdulla Hafeez, Assistant Administrative Officer Hussain Niyaz, Deputy Director General Abdulla Shareef, Deputy Minister Nishama Mohamed, Director Naushad Ali and Bid Committee member Aminath Shaufa.