Email accuses New Zealand government of corruption over Grand Chancellor contract.
For the past few days, we have been hearing reports of an explosive but anonymous email that purported to “lift the lid” on the scandal surrounding the bidding process for the contract (the biggest in New Zealand’s history) to demolish the Hotel Grand Chancellor.
After much searching and burning of gallons of midnight oil, we finally managed to track down a copy of the email, and it alleges:
• The Christchurch Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) that awarded the contract is staffed by employees of Fletcher Construction, the company that actually won the contract.
• CERA delayed the award of the contract for a full three months and allowed Fletcher Construction to view the other bids.
• Fletcher Construction was awarded the contract on the same day it submitted its bid, despite being 3 million more expensive.
• Fletcher Construction is state-owned having been purchased by the country’s Reserve Bank.
However, CERA has struck back, addressing many of the accusations in a detailed response of their own.
Of course, it is unlikely that the CERA response will satisfy whoever sent the original message. But, in the interests of fairness and balance, we have attached both the original email and the CERA response to allow Demolition News readers to make up their own minds.
