Dubai-based Executors General Trading has delivered five more ventilators to the Maldives, under an agreement made with the government earlier this year.

Authorized distributor of Drega brand, ADK General Trading was tasked with delivering the items.

With the new shipment, a total of 15 ventilators have been shipped to the Maldives by the middle eastern company thus far; 10 mobile ventilators and five ventilators used in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of hospitals were delivered earlier.

Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Health, Thasleema Usman revealed that a team of engineers at the ministry is currently working to test the new shipment of ventilators.

Although the ministry had contracted Executors General Trading to deliver 75 ventilators during March 2020, the company is yet to deliver the remaining 60 ventilators and the health ministry has not been informed of a specific delivery date for the remaining ventilators.

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 Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Maldives Police Service (MPS) conducted investigations, 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.

The People’s Majlis has since voted to seek charges against former Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen in connection to the case.

Minister of Finance, Ibrahim Ameer has stated that the incumbent administration will work to acquire the reimbursement for the ventilators, should the company fail to deliver the remaining ventilators.