Appeal Court upholds security firm’s challenge to denial of contract under former gov’t

The Court of Appeal yesterday overturned a 2014 decision by former acting Chief Justice Ian Chang SC to set aside a High Court order which quashed a decision to deny Strategic Action Security Ltd the award of a security contract.

The judgment, delivered by Justice Rishi Persaud, who presided along with Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rafiq Khan SC, also criticised the Bid Protest Committee for not hearing the firm’s duly filed protest.

The court noted that upon rejection of its bid, the firm invoked the internal complaint procedure and lodged as required the $2 million registration fee to facilitate the hearing of that complaint. But up to the time of the filing of the appeal there was no response from the Bid Protest Committee or the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).