A company which won a contract to supply bread to all government institutions filed a judicial protest in the First hall of Civil Court saying that a special clause in the contract made it useless.

KCV Bakers Co. Ltd held that although it won a contract to supply bread to all government hospitals and institutions in Malta as well as the Armed Forces of Malta between 1 January and 31 December, some institutions buy bread from third parties. These were the Mosta, Gzira, Msida old people’s home, Zammit Clapp Hospital, Mater Dei Hospital and the detention centres of Hal Far, Safi and Ta’ Kandja.

The company said it had protested, however, it had been told that clause 16 of the special conditions in contracts of provisions distribution stipulates that “The government reserves the right of obtaining any quantities of the above mentioned commodities during the period of the contract from sources other than the contractor.”

The protestor held that this clause nullifies the contract as it jeopardised its investments and breaches contractual obligations and unless government stops procuring bread from third companies, KCV Bakers CO. Ltd said it would hold government responsible for damages.

The protest, which was filed against the Prime Minister and the Director of Contracts, was signed by Dr Geoffrey Mifsud Farrugia and Dr Edward Zammit-Lewis.