Markides orders probe into claims of tender irregularities at Koa

STATE-APPOINTED criminal investigators are to probe alleged tender “fixing” at the Cyprus Sports Federation (Koa), which could have cost over £1 million of tax-payers’ money.

Attorney-general Alecos Markides has appointed four investigators after examining an initial report by the Auditor-general’s office into the alleged corrupt practices at the island’s supreme sports body.

The initial probe found evidence suggesting that Koa officials were “tailoring” specifications for contracts to be put out to tender in order to ensure certain companies won through.

The suspect tenders were put out in 1997 and concern the construction of a tennis court, the supply of lighting for the same court and the provision of security at sports’ grounds.

The Auditor-general’s office found that Koa had paid hundreds of thousands of pounds over the going rate for the tennis court facilities and security services.

Cheaper tenders for the same projects and services were apparently rejected.

It is also alleged that a person involved in drawing up specifications for the contracts to be put out to tender had links to one of the companies that eventually won the contracts. This same person was allegedly involved in the selection procedure after tenders were submitted.

The initial report estimated that over £1 million of tax-payers’ money could have been misspent in this manner by Koa.

The four criminal investigators appointed by Markides are a senior policeman, an officer of the Auditor-general’s office, a lawyer and a state attorney.

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