JMI Hospital Requisite Manufacturing Ltd (JHRML) has put health care workers at risk of Covid-19 infection by supplying fake N95 masks to the Health Ministry.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) received specific allegations on this matter from multiple sources, including its own intelligence unit.
“We will form an investigative team in this regard,” said ACC Chairman Iqbal Mahmud on Friday.
Earlier, the government allocated Tk100 crore to buy N95 masks for health care workers treating coronavirus patients.
The contractor, JMI Group, was given the responsibility of supplying masks made in the United States.
Later, the masks were supplied to several hospitals, including Mugda General Hospital in Dhaka, where doctors questioned their quality.
On information, the Ministry of Health formed an inquiry committee of its own. Although the committee submitted the inquiry report to the ministry, the committee’s head refused to say anything about its content.
Meanwhile, ACC also received information from its intelligence and other sources that the JMI group had provided fake masks to the ministry. The group apparently purchased the masks from a number of sources that were not so reliable or authentic.
The national anti-graft commission also found that the supplied fake masks were manufactured in Gazaria upazila of Munshiganj district but were packaged as N95 masks which are made only by 3M, a US company.
The ACC chairman said as soon as they have the evidence, legal action will be taken against those involved in the corruption.
