MCAST bidder’s premises ‘inappropriate’ for disabled
IT diploma saga – Finance ministry overruled Contracts DG’s suspension of bidder, despite not being accessible to disabled as per contract requirements
Matthew Vella A report commissioned by the National Commission Persons with Disability (KNPD) on the accessibility of a learning centre that was awarded a tender for the provision of IT lessons, has revealed that the school was not accessible to the disabled.
The centre, Future Focus, was at the centre of a controversy on the award of a €1.8 million contract to five firms, for the provision of IT diploma lessons to 600 MCAST students.
Its director Rosanne Galea had gone on record challenging Labour MP Evarist Bartolo, who brought the matter to national attention, to tour the premises in a wheelchair and verify for himself the building’s accessibility.
But a report commissioned by the KNPD now reveals that premises was not appropriate for students with a disability.
The findings in the inspection by Architect Joseph Spiteri show that: a temporary ramp placed at the entrance across the public pavement did not have handrails and was too steep and narrow; there was no lift access to the classrooms on second and third floors; the mobile climber installed was not “an acceptable means of vertical circulation” as laid down by the Access for All guidelines; and sanitary facilities were also too small and fell short of the same design guidelines for universal accessibility.
The MCAST tender attracted controversy because the selection board changed its marks when it transpired that only one company out of five, Computer Domain, received the necessary 70 marks to be awarded the contract.
The Contracts Department told the board that their conclusions “did not reflect the content of the tender specifications”, which led the board to re-grade the bids, and recommend that all five bids are accepted.
In a hearing before the Public Contracts Appeals Board, Borg Manduca claimed he was “under the impression that the threshold was fixed at 50 points”, while appellants Computer Domain claimed the points were re-graded to ensure all the bidders became eligible for the contract.
The Public Contracts Appeals board expressed “amazement” as to how have the adjudication board had assumed the pass mark was at 50%, calling it “unprofessional conduct.”
It was also revealed that the grades were revised upwards by as much as 27%.
Ministry took control The five bidders were also required to prove that their premises were accessible to the disabled. Computer Domain was only the centre that had been certified by the KNPD to be fully accessible, as laid down in the tender specifications.
Labour MP Evarist Bartolo’s protests led to police charges being filed against Future Focus and another bidder, Key Services, for allegedly making false declarations over their buildings’ accessibility to disabled persons.
This led to the Contracts Department withdrawing the MCAST contract to the two companies.
Future Focus and Key Services later filed a court injunction against the Contracts Department’s decision not to award them the contract, which the director-general of contracts protested.
However, a finance ministry spokesperson then confirmed the two companies were still allowed to retain their slice of the contract upon submitting a declaration to the Contracts Department, stating they had not made the false declarations they are being accused of.
“The company directors are still presumed innocent until they are found guilty,” the spokesperson said.
The finance ministry said the declaration submitted by the two companies could not be published because it is considered confidential in terms of the Public Contracts regulations.
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