PG will not pursue charges after review of ventilator corruption case
Declared that they would not be able to prove the crimes as required under law
PG Shameem at the People's Majlis Judiciary Committee
The Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) has decided that they will not be pursuing charges against after reviewing their earlier decision to not prosecute suspects in relation to the case of corruption in acquiring ventilators needed to treat patients of Covid-19.
The PGO stated that the office had reviewed the case of corruption in relation to the acquisition of ventilators by the Ministry of Health, following new information submitted to the PGO by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The PGO went on to detail that based on the new information, and the evidence collected in this case earlier, the office was not confident that they could prove the charges against former Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen and 11 others in relation to the ventilator corruption case. In addition to this, the PGO noted that no changes had been observed in the initial justification to not pursue charges, and that the PGO had concluded to not back-track on their earlier decision to not pursue charges against suspects in this case.
While there are conflicts being observed in the stance of the PGO and ACC in relation to the ventilator corruption case, the ACC had previously concluded investigations and forwarded charges against former Health Minister Abdulla Ameen and 11 others to the PGO in this case. However, the PGO had concluded that there was not enough evidence to prove the charges against those suspected, and decided that they would not be prosecuting those suspects in the case. Public outcry over the case had caused former Minister Abdulla Ameen to resign from his position as Minister of Health.
Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem had previously justified the PGO's decision to not pursue charges, stating that while the investigation in this case had been completed, it had not yielded enough evidence to prove the charges against ex-minister Ameen and the 11 other parties suspected of corruption in this case. PG Shameem noted that despite administrative inconsistencies, the PGO would always make decisions based on whether they can secure convictions in the charges they pursue. However, President of the ACC Mariyam Shiuna has repeatedly asserted that the ACC had found sufficient evidence to secure a conviction from their investigation into the case.
Further, PG Shameem has stated that the Maldives Police Service and the ACC have failed to share information relevant to the case with the PGO. The issue of the ACC and MPS withholding information in the ventilator corruption case has since been forwarded to review to the People's Majlis Judiciary Committee.
