Australian Government left with millions of unusable COVID masks from suspicious retailer

·

The Australian Government has been left with almost 46 million unusable face masks after they handed COVID-19 contracts to a suspicious online retailer, who sourced equipment via companies registered in the low-tax jurisdiction of Cyprus.

According to The Guardian, $100 million in contracts were handed Australian Business Mobiles NSW (ABM), a small company who was in charge of subcontracting the supply of the PPE from two companies registered in Cyprus in April and June 2020.

The Cyprus-registered companies, Neumer Trading and Neumer Holdings, named after twins Ricky and Evan Neuman, made about $40 million on the deal, The Guardian reported.

Later in July, questions were raised by the Australian Taxation Office in regard to the government’s arrangement with the two companies.

The two Cyprus-based companies websites are now non-existent.

ABM was paid to source 50 million masks and 4 million isolation gowns however, almost 46 million masks were found to be unusable as five out of seven of the manufacturers who supplied the masks did not meet quality regulations.

In March last year, warnings were also issued for these masks to not be used in hospitals or other healthcare settings.

A spokesperson for Ricky Neumann said the companies had “always complied with our obligations and deny any wrongdoing.”

Source: The Guardian.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Archbishop Makarios of Australia issues Easter Message for 2025

Archbishop Makarios of Australia has released his 2025 Easter message, reflecting on the impact of loneliness.

Comic author Peter Barber and his Greek Orthodox Easter ‘adventures’

Award-winning British author Peter Barber writes books about… Greece. So far, he has published five books about his second, or first, home!

Peter Dutton MP’s Easter message: Honouring faith and the Greek Australian legacy

Australia’s Leader of the Opposition, Peter Dutton MP, has issued a message to Greek communities to mark Orthodox Easter today.

Anthony Albanese MP praises Greek community in heartfelt Easter message

Federal Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, has sent a message to mark Orthodox Easter this year. Read the full message here.

High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia sends heartfelt Easter wishes

High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia, Antonis Sammoutis, sends a message for Orthodox Easter.

You May Also Like

Summer wildfires plague Greece as firefighters battle high winds

Summer wildfires have plagued Greece this week with numerous new fires breaking out across the country in the last few hours.

Mike Tomalaris joins broadcast team for Road World Championships

Mike Tomalaris will be returning to TV screens as he joins the broadcast team for the Road World Championships in Wollongong

Leaders of Greece and Turkey agree to mend ties after years of friction

Greece and Turkey on Thursday agreed to reboot their relations, establishing a roadmap designed to usher in a new era of closer ties.