What should have been a straightforward purchase of binoculars for the RCMP has gone off the rails after it emerged the deal was rigged to favour one particular company. Another, MD Charlton Co., one of Canada’s top police-equipment suppliers, raised objections that the purchase favoured a particular firm, which has not been named. The RCMP invoked a national security exemption for the purchase of the night-vision binoculars, meaning that regular rules governing federal procurement didn’t apply. But MD Charlton, which was not on the list, questioned the government’s need to limit the bidding. It also said the specifications seemed designed to favour the particular supplier and could easily be found by the public on the Internet.

Source: National Post September 23, 2016 01:41 UTC