CORONAVIRUS

Maltese ventilator deal lost over HPRA probe claims

A Wicklow company had claimed it could get hundreds of ventilators through a Chinese supplier
A Wicklow company had claimed it could get hundreds of ventilators through a Chinese supplier
AXEL HEIMKEN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

A Wicklow company falsely accused of fraud by the HSE lost a potential contract to sell hundreds of ventilators to the Maltese government when the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) advised the Maltese “not to engage in any transactions” with it as it was under “investigation”.

The Maltese ambassador in Ireland contacted the HSE and Department of Health on March 24 last year seeking “urgent” help in vetting Narooma, a company based in the Co Wicklow village of Rathnew, which said it could access hundreds of ventilators through Chinese medical supplier Aeonmed.

The Maltese said they did not have time to go through their usual vetting procedures and were “unsure” about the company as it had “little or no online presence”. They ended their