BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has unveiled unclear procurement procedures of electronic fuel level sensors for fuel tanker trucks and depot fuel storage tanks involving MERA and MAS International/Mike Appeal Gato Joint Venture.
In a letter that HRDC wrote to the Director of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Reyneck Matemba signed by HRDC National chairperson Gift Trapence, HRDC disclosed that MERA went ahead to award the contract to MAS International despite several attempts by the Public Procurement and Disposal Authority (PPDA) to halt the process.
According to Trapence, MERA wrote to PPDA on March 19, 2018 seeking a “no objection” to proceed awarding the contract which was withheld in reference to section 44(7) of the PPDA Act to protect Government from paying unnecessary additional costs to the company whose bid had increased by MK800 million as MAS International was not the lowest evaluated bidder.
However, on May 8, 2018, MERA wrote back to PPDA appealing against the decision which was turned down before MERA wrote another appeal on 28th June 2018 clarifying their choice of MAS International including reasons such as the awarded company had a proven track record of involvement in similar service which forced PPDA to grant MERA the no objection according to section 51 of the PPD Act.
However, HRDC said the preliminary investigations revealed that MERA lied to PPDA because MAS International has no proven track record of involvement in similar service.
HRDC has also questioned MERA’s involvement in procurement procedure of the electronic sensors which were going to be installed on private trucks and private fuel depots.
It has also discovered that out of the 1447 trucks, MAS International had only installed sensors on less than 20 trucks.
HRDC has therefore asked ACB to commence investigations into the matter and update the nation once the investigations have started.
MERA is yet to respond on HRDC claims.