A Coke by any other name

THE EDITOR, Sir:

A correspondent who doesn't want to be named wrote me regarding my December 8, 2018, column 'Petroscam the tip of the iceberg'. He has a different recollection of the 1980s Tarentum coffee processing plant contract award. He wrote, in part:

"When the matter was considered by the Government Contracts Committee, (GCC) the consulting architects on the project recommended the contract be awarded to the second-lowest tenderer. The GCC didn't accept that recommendation and instead recommended to Cabinet that the contract be awarded to the lowest tenderer.

The second-lowest tenderer took the matter to the contractor general, who submitted a report supporting the recommendation of the consulting architects.

The Cabinet accepted the recommendation of the GCC that the contract be awarded to the lowest tenderer."

The correspondent also wrote:

"To the best of my knowledge, the principal of the firm that was awarded the contract, Mrs Ruth Villiers (now deceased), was in no way related to Lester Lloyd Coke, aka 'Jim Brown'. I have no intention of arguing with this particular correspondent. His recollection is his.

I'll admit I might've forgotten the winning bidder was second-lowest, and not the lowest bidder. The correct name of the lady now identified was Mrs Ruthlyn Villiers (nee Coke).

Reasons

My correspondent gave a reason why Cabinet chose GCC's recommendation over the consulting architects'/contractor general's, but I won't repeat it because I consider it gratuitously demeaning of too many innocent persons AND I might be in breach of cabinet confidentiality to do so.

Now called NCC, did it not recently recommend the infamous JCF used-car contracts be awarded to O'Brien's despite professional civil service advice to the contrary?

GORDON ROBINSON