Health Minister Abdulla Ameen stepped aside from his duties on Monday, ahead of a probe into the the findings on a compliance audit on Health Ministry’s COVID-19 spending.

In a letter sent to President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Monday, Minister Ameen said that he wishes to step aside from the Health Ministry until the investigation is complete by the relevant authorities, or until the President directs him otherwise.

In his letter, the Minister had informed the President of his own decision to step aside and hence did not seek a reply from the President on the matter.

President Solih ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and Maldives Police Service to conduct a joint investigation into the corruption uncovered in the compliance report today, while the Chief Communications Strategist at the President's Office, Ibrahim Hood asserted that the President will take swift action on the matter no matter who the guilty person is.

The audit report publicized by the Audit Office noted that while a Dubai company was awarded the project to procure 75 ventilators, no background checks were conducted to establish the competency of the company. It noted that the company was awarded the project for MVR 34.5 million, and such a big project required them to conduct proper background checks.

The report also added that Executors General Trading was awarded the project at the recommendation of World Health Organization (WHO) as detailed by the Ministry on several official documentation.

It further highlighted that the Ministry did not obtain an advance payment guarantee when it paid MVR 30 million (90 percent of the total payment) as an advance to the company on two accounts.

The audit further uncovered that 11 ventilators of the 75 which were supplied by Executors General Trading were ICU ventilators for which the company was contracted at a higher price than other suppliers.