ACC Requests Prosecution of Four Addu Hospital Employees Over Overpriced Lab Supplies

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has decided to refer a case to the Office of the Prosecutor General (PG) requesting charges be filed against four employees of Addu Equatorial Hospital (AEH) for procuring micro-pipette tips at a price higher than the market rate. The ACC announced the decision today, stating that the procurement violated public finance regulations. The four individuals are Mohamed Saeen Ahmed, Procurement Officer and person in charge of managing the procurement department; Azeez Latheef, Senior Health Care Administration Officer and chairperson of the bid committee; Abdulla Wahid, Senior Customer Relations Officer and member of the bid committee; and Dr. Fatimath Amaana Naseer, Paediatrician and member of the bid committee. The case stems from a 2025 announcement to procure laboratory consumables for Addu Equatorial Hospital and its associated health centers. The procurement included 40,000 micro-pipette tips. Only one party submitted a bid, and the ACC investigation found that the items were procured without verifying whether the price offered was reasonable, in violation of public finance regulations. The ACC stated that the decision to request prosecution is based on charges of abuse of official position and acting contrary to the interest of the state under the Penal Code of the Maldives. In addition, the ACC decided to calculate the financial loss incurred by the state and to order administrative review and recovery of funds that must be returned to the state.