HC questions govt's preference for UK firm

The High Court yesterday issued a rule upon the government to explain in two weeks why its recommendation to appoint a British company to supply 15 million machine readable passport (MRP) booklets should not be declared illegal.
The rule was issued acting on an April 4 writ petition stating that De La Rue was a fraud company and had a record of poor performance and fraudulence practice and should not be awarded the contract.
Barrister M Mutaher Hossain, appearing for the petitioners, told The Daily Star yesterday that the company's tender submission letter gave an undertaking of not having any record of poor performance, supply abandonment and non-completion of contract.
However, it failed to mention about a UK probe into the company and suspension of its banknote supply contract in India, he said.
Clause 4.3B of the tender document defined “fraudulence practice” as misrepresentation or omission of facts. The tender, based on this, can be rejected, he added.
The home secretary, inspector general of police, Department of Immigration and Passports director general, De La Rue and eight other government officials were made respondents to the rule.