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Report to be presented to cabinet
E.C.D. road extension controversy…
Attorney General Anil Nandlall has said that a committee was established between the Ministry of Finance and his office to deal with the issue of Falcon Transportation and Construction Company, the construction company whose contract for the expansion of a section of the East Coast Public Road was recently terminated.
Nandlall yesterday told Kaieteur News that the committee will review the procurement process and will make recommendations.
Nandlall further stated that after that is done, Cabinet will be informed of the findings.
The stalled section of the E.C.D. four lane expansion project.
Falcon Transportation and Construction Services had accused officials of the Ministry of demanding bribes.
The Public Works Ministry had conducted an internal investigation and found no evidence proving that officers were involved in corrupt practices.
This was mainly because the contractor nor a representative did not appear at the internal hearings to provide the evidence he claimed he had.
According to an Engineer of Public Works, the matter is not dead but he is doubtful that the Ministry sent its report to the Guyana Police Force.
Meanwhile, the contractor’s lawyer is compiling sworn affidavit to take the Ministry to court.
The Managing Director of the contracting firm, Falcon Transportation and Construction Services, had claimed that Ministry of Public Works officials as well as a ‘Big Man’ from the Ministry of Finance had made demands for kickbacks from the $468M contract.
He remains convinced that his contract was terminated in retaliation to his suspension of work on his section of the project over non-payment by the Ministry of Public Works.
The Ministry is maintaining that “In view of the non performance by the Contractor on this project, the advice of the Attorney General’s Chambers was sought and the Ministry was advised to terminate the contract for fraudulent practices.”
The Ministry, in a statement said that Falcon Transportation and Construction Services was awarded a contract on 6 September, 2011 in the sum of $468.2M for the widening of the public road and construction of concrete drains on both sides of the road from Better Hope to Montrose, East Coast Demerara. The start date was 14 November, 2011 with a completion date set for 14 July, 2012.
The Ministry had raised the issue of “questionable” invoices submitted by the Contractor.
The Ministry said that five out of 11 invoices submitted by the Contractor from suppliers had blacked out invoice numbers, and claims for the same items (steel) twice.
But the contractor has subsequently provided an explanation, which was supported by the supplier of the item.
The East Coast Demerara four lane road project seeks to improve the mobility and accessibility of the population via this extension which links Georgetown to numerous highly populated villages along the East Coast Demerara.
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