KATHMANDU, JUL 17 -
The contract for the Machine Readable Passport (MRP) project to France-based Oberthur company will stay, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA).

To ward off the controversy over the deal and complaints against Oberthur by two rival companies—Perum Peruri (Indonesia) and De La Rue (UK)—the ministry is all set to make things public on Sunday.

“Two companies have lodged complaints of fake documents against Oberthur. We started probing the matter through our diplomatic missions in Korea and France. We are also consulting experts on how to carry the deal forward,” Chief of Protocol, Mukti Nath Bhatta, told the Post.

MoFA is going to submit all dossiers of the MRP contract to the Parliamentary Accounts Committee (PAC) on Sunday. MoFA officials said they hoped to get a clean chit from the PAC.

“If the probe determines that Oberthur submitted fake documents and sub-standard technical equipment, Perum Peruri will get the contract. But there will be no terminating the MRP tender,” another MoFA official said. “Moreover, we are not going to compromise with any security breach in passport copies,” the official said. India has expressed concern over the security features of the MRP copy. “Our concern is over the possibility of dilution of security features and not who gets the tender award. We have submitted a note to the MoFA,” an Indian embassy official said.

Posted on: 2010-07-18 08:12

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