The Court of Audit objected to the specifications for grouping 29 contracts in a single lot. The opposition denounced a 'tailor-made suit' in the drafting of the specifications
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Court of Accounts of the Province of Córdoba did not authorize a tender from the Ministry of Security to acquire technological equipment. The operation involved a disbursement of public funds close to US$7 million. The rejection was based on the lack of competition and transparency in the administrative process.
The challenged file grouped 29 different contracts into a single purchase line. This forced a single supplier to provide everything from drones and antennas to software and training. This modality prevented the participation of multiple companies specialized in each field.
The tender had a single bidder, UTE Vantac SAS-Huinoil SA, and it had been pre-awarded since September 2025. Beltrán Corvalán, head of the body, described the procedure as a "tailor-made suit". He stated that the administrative file was "poorly documented" for a multimillion-dollar expenditure.
La operación implicaba un desembolso de fondos públicos cercano los US$ 7 millones.
A single and exclusionary bid document
The opposition keeps that the design of the bid document arbitrarily restricted the free participation of bidders. They argue that the purchase should have been divided in order to obtain better prices in the market. They compared the situation to buying "coffee and pens" in a single indivisible block.
The provincial Executive defended the unification of the items, citing technical reasons. They argue that the technology requires full integration to avoid compatibility failures. They maintain that the lack of local experience justifies a "turnkey" service.
The original project contemplated the creation of the Svant Division with 15 high-complexity aerial units. It included facial recognition systems and ground control vehicles. All this equipment was put on hold after the objection by opposition members.
Desde el Ejecutivo provincial defendieron la unificación de los ítems alegando razones técnicas.
Possible judicialization of the process
The administrative conflict could lead to a criminal complaint by the Court of Accounts. The oversight authorities are considering going to court if they insist on tailored tenders. They believe that the State can't validate processes without guarantees of competition.
To unblock the situation, it was suggested to carry out a new call by dividing the purchase lines. Another alternative mentioned is the use of reserved expense allocations.
El expediente objetado agrupaba 29 contrataciones diversas en un único renglón de compra.
