ACC seeks tax fraud probe on Covid graft accused Latheef

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has asked the state tax agency to investigate a tax fraud case against former IGMH procurement committee chairman Dr Ali Abdulla Latheef.

The ACC made the announcement in a press release on the completion of its investigation into an alleged corruption scandal and the prosecution of three former senior IGMH officials, including Latheef.

The ACC said the findings of the commission's investigation alleged that Latheef had committed tax fraud based on the tax documents submitted to the Maldives Inland Revenue Authority (MIRA). The matter has been referred to MIRA for further investigation, the commission added.

The ACC statement did not provide further details on the alleged tax fraud.

As a separate case, ACC asked the Prosecutor General's (PG) office to levy corruption charges against Latheef and the then CEO of IGMH for contracting a private company with their interests to procure reagents or chemicals used in the laboratory for testing for Covid-19.

The ACC said in the statement that they had awarded the contract to a company called RMLS Lab Services to procure the reagents needed for the test. The investigation has found that the company is a business in which Latheef has an interest.

At the time, Latheef was the chairman of the procurement committee, a member of the medical executive committee and a member of the technical advisory committee.

The ACC said that the investigation revealed that the company was awarded the contract for the supply of chemicals through abuse of position.

Besides Latheef, the other persons whom the ACC has requested to prosecute in the case are: