THE Ministry of National Security is tight-lipped over the continued visits of a “Mr. Big” of the English shipyards in the midst of the tender to provide Coast Guard boats.

The man and a team of officials have been to Trinidad nine times already.

Their first five visits followed government’s announced intention to purchase three offshore patrol vessels for the Coast Guard.

They subsequently tendered a bid but have since returned to this country another four times, raising speculation by ministry insiders that they are trying to influence the tendering process.

By comparison, the other two bidding companies from Germany and Italy have been to Trinidad on only the single occasion that they were invited.

Checks have proven that the English shipyard officials have been staying at Trinidad Hilton since October 15 and are book to leave November 12.

While the ministry’s official public relations department claims no knowledge of where the process has reached to date, insiders confirm that it is now being wrapped up and the ministry will make an announcement in the next five days or so.

“This Mr. Big has made illicit offers to key individuals involved in the decision-making for the award of the contract,” said one insider, requesting anonymity and dubbing himself Mr. Jack Right.

“Mr. Big has engaged in talks with persons involved with the contract,” he said.

“This behaviour is against tendering protocol.”

The initial tender was put out in January, with the German firm bidding to provide the vessels for the lowest amount, the Italians bidding $200 million more and the English firm bidding another $100 million more.

The English are on record making myriad complaints about “being advantaged” in the bid process. The tender was quashed and a new one went out in May.

“I can’t recall how the ministry justified putting it back out. All I can say is the Londoners found friends in high places; they made the same bid, nothing changed, except they intended to pay someone a lot of money.

“They were given the chance to manipulate some people.

“I am just sick and tired of seeing people manipulate the system because of corruption,” he said.

“I’m fed-up of how our tax dollars are being handed out without regard for the best value for money for the people of Trinidad and Tobago.”

TnT Mirror contacted the Ministry’s Communications Specialist, Parvati Hazel in the absence of Corporate Communications Manager, Vernetta Calvin-Smith and was assured that the tendering process was not yet finished.

“Once a company is selected, they have to follow a long process still,” she said. “For instance, if something doesn’t measure up, then we move on to another candidate.

“Nothing is a done deal yet.

“Only after that process is completed would there be an announcement (as to who won the bid).”

However, she could not say much about the London company (two-letter name given), reasons they were in Trinidad so often and for so long, or why the a second tender was sent out.

“I don’t know details of that.

“I came here only since the end of July,” she said.

“The process is still going on. Nothing is finalised yet.”

The practices alluded to by insiders are outlined in the tendering process as being “corrupt” and “fraudulent”.
Where this is found to be so, a firm can be deemed ineligible and have its bid rejected.

Corrupt practice, means the offering, giving, receiving or soliciting of anything of value to influence the actions of a public official in the procurement process or in contract execution.

Fraudulent practice means a misrepresentation of facts in order to influence a procurement process or the execution of a contract to the detriment of the government.

This includes “collusive practice among tenderers prior to or after a tender is awarded, designed to establish tender prices at artificial non-competitive levels and to deprive the government of the benefits of free and open competition”.

A proposal for award, according to the tender process, must be rejected if it is determined that the recommended tenderer has engaged in corrupt or fraudulent practices in competing for the contract.

Also, the firm can be declared ineligible for Ministry of National Security contracts, either indefinitely or for a stated period.

Mirror investigators made fruitless efforts to contact Mr. Big (first name Tim) at the Hilton.

He did not return voice messages.

Meanwhile, Jack Right insists: “They came here consistently and have long been part of negotiations with people secretly.

“This is another ugly episode in our history.

“The idea (to buy patrol boats) is a good idea, but the way they’re going about it is once again wrong.

“We have got to drive home the message to government that this has to stop.”

Meanwhile, the Integrity Commission is being alerted about the questionable practices by high office holders in the Ministry of National Security.