Berri Says Tenders Passed Outside CIB are 'Suspicious'

Speaker Nabih Berri indirectly described a tender to lease power generating vessels launched by Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil as “suspicious.”

“A tender to lease power-generating vessels brings gains to pockets,” LBCI quoted the Speaker as saying.

Berri continued to say that any “bid and tender that does not pass through the Tender Department of the Central Inspection Bureau is considered suspicious.”

Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil held a tender for power-generating contracts at the Energy Ministry on Monday.

Abi Khalil had stressed the “legality” of the tender and said “public institutions need not launch tenders at the CIB.”

“The tender is perfectly legal and is carried out in accordance with a book of conditions prepared by the government of (former) PM Najib Miqati,” he had said.

A total of eight interested companies have participated in the bidding process.