The Appeal Board of the Presidential Secretary had ordered an immediate halt to a tender issued through the Department of Fisheries for the purchase of five types of fishing craft equipment including transponders, D.M.S. and search equipment due to a Rs. 270 million discrepancy.
This follows objections made to the Appeal Board by three companies which had submitted lower tenders.
They had pointed out that the tender approved by the Technical Evaluation Committee leader of director General of Fisheries exceeded the next lower tender by about Rs. 270 million.
The Technical Evaluation Committee had deliberately overlooked the other lower tenders and they suspected something fishy in the tender. Meanwhile, Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has demanded that this matter be reported this matter to the State Procurement Committee since he had received information alleging some underhand dealings behind the award of this tender.