The company which was responsible for the controversial lighting system installed on the façade of the iconic Auberge de Castille a few months ago has been given another government job to install a new lighting system at Villa Francia – the Prime Minister’s official residence in Lija.

OPM sources told the Times of Malta that Raymond Vella and Company (RVC Ltd) won the tender for the works at the Prime Minister’s residence despite not making the lowest offer.

According to official documents, while RVC Ltd offered to do the job for €45,000, another company, Single A1 Installations, offered to do the same for just €23,000. However, despite the significant difference in price, the job was still given to RVC Ltd.

Asked for an explanation, the OPM’s spokesman confirmed that the same installers of the lighting system as Castille were awarded the tender for Villa Francia’s lighting system. He also said that the second bidder was disqualified.

Despite the significant price difference, the job was still given to RVC Ltd

“When the bids were opened and evaluated, Single A1 Installations was disqualified since its bid was administratively non-compliant,” the OPM’s spokesman said. According to the evaluation committee, Single A1 Installations did not submit required forms with work plan and programme of works as well as another form with key experts.

The Times of Malta is informed that the cheapest bidder did not appeal the decision to award the tender to RVC Ltd.

RVC Ltd, which provided all the lighting requirements to the Labour Party before the last elections, was embroiled in a public controversy last year over the harshly criticised new lighting system on the Auberge de Castille’s façade.

The system’s installation, which set back taxpayers some €300,000, was called “a travesty” by senior heritage architects.

Architects specialised in restoration also claimed that irreversible damage was done to the façade of the iconic building, as holes the size of table tennis balls were drilled right through the stonework.

The works led to the intervention of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, which ordered remedial action to minimise the impact of the new lighting system on the historic building.

These included the colour coding of the wiring system and the adjustment of the lighting intensity.

RVC Ltd had been the only bidder for the Castille lighting tender issued by the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation.