Ivison: Two weeks ago, as reported here first, the government of Canada made a standing offer to the self-same Nuctech to install X-ray scanners in all of its embassies and high commissions around the world — even though at least two Canadian companies had bid on the contract.
At the time, I reported that Nuctech had won because it made the lowest bid: $6.8 million. Yet it turns out even that fig leaf of a defence has been blown away.
Kham Lin of Calgary-based KPrime Technologies said his company offered to supply the scanners for $5.4 million. He said that even if the Nuctech bid included shipping and installation, KPrime would still have been able to offer a more competitive price.
Lin’s contention is that Nuctech should not have been allowed to bid at all, given its checkered history. Besides the bribery controversy in Taiwan, Nuctech has been engaged in questionable practices in Namibia and Europe, where a five-year tariff was imposed on the company for alleged dumping.
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