AGO seeks MVR 32M lost in ventilator corruption case through arbitration

Attorney General’s Office (AG Office) has filed a complaint with the Maldives International Arbitration Centre seeking to recover the monies payable to the state over the failure to deliver ventilators by Dubai-based Executors General Trading – the company contracted by the government to procure ventilators to treat COVID-19 patients in critical condition.

The arbitration complaint was filed on February 16^th. The government is seeking MVR 32.5 million in total – making up the cost of the ventilators that were not delivered in addition to compensation for the losses incurred due to non-deliverance.

The case involves an MVR 34.50 million contract awarded by Health Ministry to Executors General Trading to procure 75 ventilators in 2020.

Executors General Trading only delivered 15 ventilators, and while Health Ministry paid MVR 30.91 million, which made for 90 percent of the total payment, to the company as an advance, without obtaining an advance guarantee or a performance guarantee.

Maldivian government served notice for termination of the contract for failure to deliver the ventilators in May 2021.

The government, in its complaint, is also seeking interest and arbitration expenses from the company.

Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has requested corruption charges against former Deputy Health Minister Shiyam Mohamed, Pink House, Th. Kinbidhoo; former Director Ahmed Aslam, Bougainvillea, Th. Kinbidhoo and former Legal Officer Ali Shiham, Fairy Garden, L. Gan from the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG Office) two months back in connection to the case.

PG Hussain Shameem, on Sunday, said a decision will be taken on filing the charges within this week.