Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee Seeks Criminal Probe into Ventilator Deal
Public Accounts Committee addressing key issues | Photo: People’s Majlis
The Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee has requested a criminal investigation into Executors General Trading, a Dubai-based company, for failing to repay MVR 32 million owed to the Maldivian government, despite an arbitration ruling in the state’s favour.
In a letter sent to Commissioner of Police Ali Shujau on 11 March, the committee asked authorities to initiate the investigation in line with the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act and other relevant procedures, noting that the case involves a foreign entity.
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The committee classified the matter as one of non-delivery of goods after obtaining payment through deception.
The case stems from a controversial agreement during the COVID-19 pandemic, in which the Health Ministry contracted Executors General Trading to procure 75 ventilators. The government paid MVR 37 million upfront, without securing guarantees. Although some ventilators were delivered initially, they were found to be unusable. The remaining machines were never received.
Following the company’s failure to fulfil the contract, the dispute was taken to arbitration. The ruling required Executors General to pay the government USD 1.8 million, along with USD 233,750 in liquidated damages. However, no payment has been made to date.
Reports at the time indicated that the Health Ministry did not adequately verify the company’s capacity to supply the ventilators. Investigations by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and findings from audit reports showed that key details about the company were not clarified before the agreement was made.
In March last year, Attorney General Ahmed Usham stated that legal action had been initiated in Dubai to recover the funds. He noted that the company’s whereabouts were unknown during arbitration and that it had not responded to proceedings at the time.
While the ACC previously forwarded the case to the Prosecutor General’s Office seeking charges against then Health Minister Abdulla Ameen and some ministry officials under the Prevention and Prohibition of Corruption Act, prosecutors concluded there was insufficient evidence to pursue criminal charges.
Since then, little information has emerged about progress in recovering the funds or in holding those responsible to account.
