President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has dismissed Deputy Ministers of Health Nishama Mohamed and Shiyama Mohamed, who were involved in awarding the contract to Dubai-based Executors General Trading to procure ventilators to the Maldives last year.
Both deputy ministers had been suspended from office since last year for the investigation of the irregularities in awarding the contract to the Dubai company. Shiyama Mohamed had signed the agreement on behalf of the Ministry of Health, while Nishama Mohamed was the chairperson of the ministry’s bid committee that awarded the contract to Executors General Trading.
The COVID-19 compliance audit conducted on the health ministry by the Auditor General’s Office last year revealed Executors General Trading was paid 90% of the quoted price in advance to procure 75 ventilators in April 2020, of which only 15 were procured. The audit report also revealed the company was selected without assessing its financial and technical capabilities, in addition to not obtaining advance payment and performance guarantees.
On October 14 last year, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) forwarded charges against 11 officials of the Ministry of Health, including then-Minister Abdulla Ameen, over the irregularities in awarding the contract to Executors Generals Trading to procure 75 ventilators to the Maldives. However, the Prosecutor General’s Office declined the case upon review, and decided not to press any charges, citing the inadequate investigation conducted by ACC.
The case was placed nder review again upon recommendation by the Parliamentary Committee on Judiciary to seek further information on the case from relevant investigative authorities including ACC and Maldives Police Service (MPS). Following the second review of the case, the PG Office maintained its decision not to press charges, stating the evidence provided by ACC does not fit the requirements for criminal prosecution. However, upon further concerns, PG Office decided to review the case for a third time to find any avenues for prosecution.