The basis for the selection of the Marriott Hotel builder is unclear with government’s holding company NICIL refusing to provide information on the second-ranked bidder and it had also ruled out at least one reputable firm and given low marks to another, according to the forensic audit into the project.
In his report, forensic auditor Anand Goolsarran said that the selection of the contractor, Shanghai Construction Group (SCG) International (Trinidad and Tobago) Ltd, took place a time when the police in Trinidad were investigating the company for allegations of corruption and had raided its office and seized documents.
Further, he said, Atlantic Hotels Inc (AHI), the project’s special purpose company, was yet to provide documentary evidence about the second bidder’s original and revised bid prices as well as details of negotiations of the bidder, as was done in respect of SCG International. “Without such information the
