23 Dec 2015

Cooks ministry told off for conflict of interest

2:52 pm on 23 December 2015

The Cook Islands Ministry of Marine Resources has been given a slap on the wrist for awarding a computer contract to a company whose director was working as the government department's IT manager.

no caption

Photo: 123RF

The Public Service Expenditure Review Committee highlighted the clear conflict of interest and breach of government tendering processing in its July report which was made public last week.

The contract was worth more than US$27,000

It is the second serious case of conflict of interest revealed in a government agency, after a US$47,600 marketing contract for the Cook Islands Pearl Authority was awarded to a company with a family connection to the government agency.