A multi-million euro contract for cancer equipment is being contested by the Opposition as the government insists it has already been given a clean bill of health.
In a letter to the director of contracts, Opposition MPs Adrian Delia and Alex Borg have called for the entire tender process to be passed over to the competent authorities for investigation.
The tender window for a new cancer treatment facility at Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre closed this month and was awarded to Technoline Ltd.
The health ministry spokesperson however said the tender had already been reviewed by the competent authority, the Public Contracts Review Board, which found that the tendering process was “done correctly and in full respect of the law and adjudicated in its favour”.
“The health authorities are committed to following this autonomous board’s decision and for this reason, decided to proceed with the procurement process,” the spokesperson said.
Technoline owner Ivan Vassallo has been among those investigated by a magistrate for allegedly being part of a criminal conspiracy in the controversial deal to privatise three state hospitals. In an extensive investigation, the Auditor General said the Vitals Global Healthcare, the company linked to Technoline should have been disqualified from bidding for the takeover of three state hospitals because of “collusive behaviour”.
The PN’s Adrian Delia has become synonymous with the VGH hospitals deal having taken the matter to court in a bid to have the three facilities returned to the public.
In this new cancer equipment contract, the facility will cost the taxpayer more than €20 million. It will include the procurement of state-of-the-art cancer equipment known as a Magnetic Resonance Linear Accelerator housed in a subterranean bunker.
However, concerns have been raised over the type of equipment Technoline are providing as well as the need to contract a new subterranean bunker.
The matter was first flagged by the Shift News which reported how the winning bidder had been selected despite costing double the original €12 million estimate.
It was also reported that the Public Contracts Review Board (PCRB) was asked to revoke the tender, funded by the EU, to acquire the cancer treatment facility due to several “irregularities,” including breaches of EU rules.
The equipment costs about half the value of the tender – the increased costs are due to the need to build a bunker to host the model offered by Technoline, which submitted a bid at €21.5 million.
“Strangely, the sole award criterion chosen for this tender, contrary to recommendations by the Department of Contracts, was the price,” Delia and Borg’s letter reads.
Furthermore, they question why the winning bid does not include one of the functions which was originally deemed “critical” to the project.
Delia and Borg question why the government did not intervene and initiate another type of contract known as a negotiated procedure to ensure it obtained the best value for money.
The health ministry spokesperson said the comments about the tender “are misinformed and intended to confuse the public”.