recent controversy over Government contracts.

Government MP Dale Butler told The Royal Gazette that the intense scrutiny over the tendering process of recent Government contracts had never occurred under previous governments.

"It's race,'' concluded the MP. Mr. Butler said that Government's efforts to redistribute economic wealth was resulting in some black owned companies getting contracts that they were previously excluded from.

"It raises issues about the media -- and people who are phoning the media,'' said Mr. Butler.

"There were many Government contracts under the previous government. Why should there be a criticism now?'' Charges of nepotism were broadcast on the electronic media after it was announced that Guardwell Security Services had been awarded the $3 million contract for airport security.

The Royal Gazette was initially stonewalled when it attempted to get information on the owners of the company. But the company's administrators eventually relented when the paper threatened legal action.

In the end it turned out that former UBP cabinet minister John Irving Pearman was a major shareholder.

Last week BermudaTech, a construction company which had put in a tender for the $70 million Berkeley contract, went public with charges that Government planned to award it to another company ProActive even though it had submitted a lower bid.

Employees of BermudaTech, which has threatened legal action, marched on the House of Assembly on Friday.

The controversy made it into the House chamber with Government MPs saying they had a mandate to level the playing field of economic opportunity, while UBP MPs claimed something was not right with the tendering process.

At one point the Opposition defended itself from a PLP charge of groundless speculation and character assassination, in connection with the Guardwell contract by blaming news reporters.

Later Minister of Telecommunication and E-commerce Renee Webb told The Royal Gazette that the tendering process had not changed.

"I don't understand why there is an inherent problem -- that the process is flawed when a black owned company wins a lucrative Government contract,'' she said.

"I'm not going to be paranoid to the point that it's racism,'' said Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott . "But I admit it didn't happen to the UBP.

"I could speculate but I don't think it's helpful. But I must admit members of the public have come to the same conclusion that Dale Butler has.'' He added : "Never have we seen this type of pressure and open aggression against what is a very established, formal tendering process. And it hasn't changed one iota.'' He said that the tendering process was conducted by the same technical officers that did it under the previous governments.

And while it may be fairer under the PLP, he said, it was essentially the same process.

"I had individuals report that there was an accepted list. And if you were not on that list you were not even qualified to tender. We do not have such a list.'' The Minister said that threats of legal action and then a march on the House of Assembly by the company's workers was "unprecedented''.

And asked whether he felt there was media bias he said that there appeared to be "prejudicial coverage in some parts of the media''.

"It seems as if it's going to established companies, nobody's interested.

With new players there's a media feeding frenzy.'' Government is set to announce the winning bid for the Berkeley contract this week. Mr. Scott said the announcement will be made on Wednesday, provided Premier Jennifer Smith has returned from a trip abroad.

Dale Butler