Uzbekistan Airports Tender Worth $550,291 for Body Cameras Declared Invalid

Uzbekistan’s Anti-Corruption Agency has annulled the results of a state procurement tender by Uzbekistan Airports for the supply of body cameras. The company has confirmed the decision.

Uzbekistan Airports emphasised that the procurement procedure was conducted in full compliance with the law and state purchasing rules. Initial reports suggested the tender was worth 6.8 bn soums ($550,291), but this was only the starting price based on commercial bids. The final contract totalled 4.3 bn soums ($347,978) including VAT.

Responding to reports of links between the participating companies, Uzbekistan Airports explained that at the time of the tender there were no signs of affiliation. A third company mentioned in media reports had not taken part in the competition and was only registered at the same address as one of the bidders. It was only after the procedure was completed that connections between the participants came to light.

The tender had been carried out on the open electronic platform etender.uzex.uz, which is accessible to all interested entrepreneurs.

Kursiv also reports that a hacker using the alias ByteToBreach has claimed responsibility for breaking into the systems of Uzbekistan Airways.