Less than third of projects advertised; contracts went mainly to govt. supporters-REO’s son, son-in-law beneficiaries

Apr 01, 2019 News

Probe needed: Regional Chairman, Bryan Allicock

In a highly unusual move that signals a change in the status quo, a senior Region Nine official has asked authorities to probe major procurement breaches in that area.
Between January 1 and March 28, 2019, the region awarded 63 contracts. More than two-thirds of these were via selective tendering.
There was clear evidence of conflict of interests.
Chairman of the Region, Bryan Allicock, on Tuesday wrote Carol Corbin, Chairperson of the Public Procurement Commission (PPC), the regulatory body that overlooks state contracts, complaining that there are widespread wrongdoings when it comes to procurement in the region.
Region Nine is one of the biggest administrative regions in the country, bordering Brazil.
In his request captioned, “Request for Investigation into the Award of Contracts- Selective Tendering”, Allicock informed PPC that the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), is seeking an urgent investigation on the contracts that were awarded.

I am being targetted: REO, Carl Parker

He said that Regional Tender Board used selective tendering.
“It was noted that approximately 60 projects were awarded of which only 18 were advertised. The others were done by selective tendering.
“It is also observed that contracts were only awarded to the supporters of the Coalition Government.”
Allicock said that contractors that paid for compliance were not considered.
“Information received from reliable source that most of these contractors who were considered under selective tendering do not have valid compliances. The Regional Democratic Council believes that this is a total violation of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board Act, and therefore seeks an urgent attention,” Allicock said in his letter to the PPC.
It was copied to Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan; Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo;
the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board; the Ethnic Relations Commission; Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee; the Auditor General and the Accountant General.
Meanwhile, on March 28, last, the Regional Executive Officer, Carl Parker, wrote the PPC informing them of the approval of awards by Region Nine Regional Tender Board, under the Capital and Current Projects, 2019,
From indications on the contract, his son, Rauldon Torres, received contracts, valued over $4M while his son-in-law, Keith Aubrey Anthony, was awarded over $8M.
There were over 63 contracts,
Late yesterday afternoon, Parker insisted in a letter to the editor that the investigation is a continued attack on his character by mainly elements of the People’s Progressive Party.

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