Customs cancels sales by tender after conditions breach

The Director General of Customs has cancelled a sale by tender of 48 lots of goods following an alleged breach of tendering conditions.

People on site told MaltaToday that even though the tender submission should have closed at 9am, it was still open seven minutes later. This sparked calls of protest from those present.

A spokesperson for the Customs Department said: “Following an incident that took place at the closure of the sale by tender of 48 lots of goods, which was taking place today and, which could affect the validity of the tendering process and the eventual award, the Director General of Customs has cancelled this sale by tender.

“The tender box with all tenders inside is being sealed and retained in a safe place at the Customs Department.”

The department said that all lots will be offered again for sale by tender in the future, through a new call for tenders.

The lots included smuggled goods which the Customs recently seized – including two Volkswagens, a dinghy and 48,000 pairs of underwear.

The sale also included two aquariums, 115 ceramic tiles, 18,000 pairs of shoes, 21,000 glasses, 2,400 bottles of vodka, and 18,000 bottles of wine.