Following a bitter battle, both in the press and behind the scenes, between the iSoft and AME consortia over the Mater Dei Integrated Health Information System tender, one of the rival bidders has positioned itself as a subcontractor for the winning company ACS Healthcare Solutions.

While the government signed the scandal-ridden contract earlier this month, what has escaped the attention of most is that iSoft – the British company previously shortlisted for the lucrative contract before the government issued a completely new call for tenders, following alleged illegalities by rival bidder AME – has been subcontracted by the American company ACS, the eventual winner of the contract.

Moreover, iSoft has also fulfilled an additional contract to upgrade the laboratory information system the company had developed some 10 years ago, and which is still in use at St Luke’s Hospital. The system has now been upgraded and is to be implemented at Mater Dei Hospital.

American giant General Electric, which had formed part of the iSoft consortium bidding for the multi-million euro contract, has also remained in the game and has been subcontracted by ACS for Mater Dei’s essential Picture Archival and Communications System (PACS).

The overall contract, worth US$20.9 million (Lm6.55 million), signed with ACS will provide for the software, hardware and expertise for the new hospital’s information, picture archiving, communications and radiology systems.

The first adjudication process, between the AME and iSoft bids, had been overshadowed by controversies related to iSoft’s financials, which had been under harsh scrutiny in the UK given the company’s heavy involvement in a major National Health Service contract.

In late October of last year, the government announced that it had issued a letter of intent to the AME consortium, indicating that it was being considered as the preferred bidder.

Allegations of leaks from the government’s adjudication committee to an official of INSO, one of the components of the AME consortium, had halted the whole process.

INSO’s offices were raided and two individuals are currently facing charges for corruption during the tendering process. They are Noel Xuereb, 42, from St Julian’s – a Malta Information Technology and Training Services (MITTS) employee who was seconded to the IT Ministry as a Core Information Systems Manager – and INSO consultant Pierre Mercieca, 47, from Attard.

Mr Xuereb has pleaded not guilty to accepting bribes, embezzlement, taking a private interest in the adjudication of tenders and disclosing professional secrets when he served as a public officer on and before 14 January 2007. Mr Mercieca has meanwhile been charged with complicity and with bribing Mr Xuereb.

The case before the courts is still ongoing.