Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has said that they are investigating five case in connection to how the government is handling the COVID-19 situation in the Maldives.

Responding to a question at the Parliament Commission for Independent Institutes, the President of ACC, Mariyam Shiuna said that two complaints have been filed by the public and three cases were noted by members of the Commission.

She said that the cases under investigation include a case of possible corruption in appointing a third-party to buy ventilators and a possible violation of the Procurement Regulations with benefit to a certain party in buying goods and providing services along with a possible case of government officials involved in prioritizing their family and friends in bring Maldivians who abroad through the rescue flights operated by the national airline, Maldivian.

The President of the ACC said that all three cases are being investigated individually and did not reveal the cases filed by members of the public.

She said that the ACC has received documents regarding the ventilators case while no requested documents in the Maldivian case have been received so far.

And to investigate the case, the ACC has talked with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Ministry of Finance and Treasury, Health Ministry and Island Aviation. She said that the investigations are being delayed due to the challenges of questioning and acquiring documents while the offices are closed during the lock down.

To the repeated questions by the MPs whether corruption took place in the ventilators case, the ACC President said that the cases are under investigation; hence she cannot comment and cannot ask to improve anything.

In response to the reports on some media outlets that say the ACC has cleared the ventilators case, President Shiuna said that the case is under investigation and no comment has been given to any news media.