Our Bureau

Mumbai, Dec. 19

Tata Steel will get back into the bidding process for the Western Cluster iron ore project in Liberia, thereby putting allegations of any wrongdoing to rest.

According to a press release issued here on Friday, Liberia’s Ministry of Justice has cleared the company of all allegations while conveying through a communiqué that investigations did not show its involvement in acts of impropriety as per media reports.

The investigation panel of Liberia’s Public Procurement and Concession Commission spearheaded the exercise.

The communiqué was in response to Tata Steel’s letter of remonstration to the Liberian Government, which expressed its “anguish and protest against the media report” quoting a government spokesperson.

In its press statement, the company adds that these were allegations made without checking their veracity, especially given that its bid was “rated very high on terms of technical, financial and social aspects” by the government-appointed international consultant.

Apart from this from the ministry, the Appeals Board has decided that Tata Steel is eligible again to participate in the re-tendered bidding process. The controversy had first hit the headlines in mid-September when the Liberian government had alleged that the initial bidding process was a result of “external influence or impropriety”.

The company had then stated that it was “completely unaware of and not connected to whatever alleged external influence and improprieties.”

It had gone on to say that it had been “upfront and transparent”

Tata Steel had also argued then that its bid was rated favourably by international consultants, Deloitte & Touche in its report to the Liberian government.

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