The Ministry of Public Works says that contractor Falcon Transportation and Con-struction Company (FTCC) has been terminated from a $468 million road works contract for non-performance and for falsifying results of compressive strength tests among other transgressions.
The ministry also accused the company of concocting allegations of corruption against public officers. Company officials have previously denied requests by Stabroek News to address these matters.
In the statement yesterday responding to a report in Kaieteur News , the Ministry said that the Attorney General had advised that the Police be called in to investigate the matters.
Falcon Transportation and Construction services was awarded a contract on September 6, 2011 in the sum of $468.2M to widen the public road and construct concrete drains on both sides of the road from Better Hope to Montrose, East Coast Demerara. The start date of the contract was November 14, 2011 with a completion date of July 14, 2012.
“The Contractor falsified compressive strength test results to prove that the concrete used for drains construction met the required strength,” the statement from the Ministry said. “The Faculty of Technology, University of Guyana, whose advice was sought, has confirmed that the results of the tests were indeed falsified,” it said.
The statement said that the Ministry wrote the contractor on January 26, 2012 and February 10, 2012 and held meetings with him and his representative on January 30 and May 18, 2012 “to which he did not respond to the claims of falsification.”
The Ministry said that five out of eleven invoices the contractor submitted from suppliers had blocked out invoice numbers and claims for the same items twice. It said that the contractor brushed aside meetings to settle the issues.
“There were regular project meetings which were held either on site or at the Works Services Group during the period the Contractor was on this project.
There were repeated entreaties with the Contractor and his Engineer to do works of the required standard and to correct substandard works. These entreaties were all to no avail,” the Ministry said.
The statement said that the Ministry granted the contractor an extension of 104 days as a consequence of revised design drawings, which were necessary, and verified delays due to inclement weather. “The new completion date of his contract would have been October 26, 2012,” the Ministry said.
“In view of the non performance by the Contractor on this project, the advice of the Attorney General’s Chambers was sought and the Ministry was advised to terminate the contract for fraudulent practices,” the Ministry said. It said that the contract was terminated in a letter to the contractor dated July 31, 2012. “The Ministry was further advised to report the matter to the Police for appropriate action because of fraudulent practices committed by the contractor,” the Ministry said in the statement.
With regard to the allegations against officials of the Ministry, the statement said that at no time, prior to the termination of the contract, did the contractor approach the Permanent Secretary or Minister Robeson Benn in relation to any acts of corruption by Technical Officers of the Ministry. “It would appear that he is making these allegations to cover up his own inefficiencies and corrupt practices in relation to his non-performance on this project.
However, if the contractor has any evidence to support his claims he is free to approach the Ministry of Public Works, the Office of the President, the Audit Office of Guyana or the Police (CID) to seek redress,” said the Ministry.
The Ministry said it is also requesting statements to verify claims of alleged bribery demands to have them investigated.
Some weeks ago the Ministry had begun taking steps to have the work terminated after it was found that the contractor was lagging behind in the execution of the works.
Following this, the Attorney General recommended that the Ministry terminate the contract. The contractor had already collected half the contract sum without completing half of the work.
