Doubts over call for warden service tenders

A security company which provides local warden services has filed a judicial protest against all 68 local councils claiming irregularities in the way a call for tenders for the provision of warden services was issued.

The call was made jointly by the five regions of Malta and Gozo under which the councils have been grouped. But Aurelia Enforcement Ltd said there were doubts whether the councils had decided unanimously to make the call in this manner.

Also, these were not regions set up by law, the company argued. Any decisions taken would, therefore, not be valid because according to law the councils should have made the call individually.

Furthermore, the call for tenders included ambiguous and irregular clauses, which could give rise to a situation in which the adjudication process was not transparent.

After sending questions to the different regions about the ambiguous clauses, the answers not only left it in the dark but also confirmed doubts about the way the offers would be adjudicated, the company said.

The company also filed the protest against the Prime Minster and Parliamentary Secretary for Local Councils, Chris Said.

Lawyers Adrian Delia and John Gauci signed the protest.