Shafaq News- Baghdad
Iraq’s Ministry of Defence has suspended the purchase of800 cargo trucks after a review identified a $160 million price gap, a sourcefamiliar with the matter told Shafaq News on Monday.
The contract, signed with the General Company for CarsTrading, set the price of each vehicle at $350,000, while market comparisonsfound that similar models were priced between $120,000 and $150,000, leaving adifference of about $200,000 per unit.
“If the General Company for Cars Trading refuses to cancelthe deal, the ministry will seek to renegotiate the prices,” the source added,noting that if no agreement is reached, the dispute will be referred to thecourts.
The review also found that the cargo trucks did not fullymeet the requirements of military formations, particularly the 25,000-litertanker models. The ministry considers the selected models to be of lowertechnical quality than other available options, including Mercedes Actros,Scania, and Volvo models, which were not considered during the procurementprocess.
Launching an investigation into officials involved inreviewing and approving the contract, the ministry dismissed the director ofthe Audit and Oversight Directorate from his position over alleged lapses.
