TCEPR advisor suspends ballistic vest purchase contract

The counselor Ivan Bonilhafrom the Court of Auditors of the State of Paraná (TCE-PR), determined the precautionary suspension of the purchase contract for around 8 thousand ballistic vests carried out by the Public Security Secretariat of Paraná (Sesp) with the Indian company MKU Limited, in December 2023. The company, according to the counselor, did not have authorization to manufacture the vests when the contract worth more than R$ 16 million was closed.

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In the decision to which Gazeta do Povo had access, Bonilha responds to a request made by the National Union of Defense Materials Industries (SIMDE). According to the complaint made by SIMDE, Sesp used a price survey carried out by the state of Alagoas to purchase vests for police officers in Paraná even with another open tender for the acquisition of the same materials.

This exceptionality occurred because, according to Sesp, 8 thousand ballistic vests in use by police officers in Paraná would have expired in 2024. The detailed expiration date of these vests, however, would not have been presented by the secretariat in justifying the option to use bidding from another state.

The urgency nature, another point alleged by Sesp to continue with the purchase based on the Alagoas notice, was questioned by SIMDE since the contract signed between the government of Paraná and the Indian company set the start date for five months after the signature.

Manufacturer of ballistic vests is suspended from the US certification body

The main point of the complaint, however, is the fact that the manufacturer of the vests has its manufacturing certification suspended from the United States National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The agency’s specifications are the standard reference for the ballistic products market, including for vests purchased by Sesp.

The counselor notified the secretariat, who contacted MKU Limited to clarify the lack of certification. According to Bonilha, MKU explained that in October 2023, during a construction inspection, it was found that a sample had a polyethylene sheet mounted in an inverted manner. “As a result of this finding, the NIJ temporarily suspended production and demanded the implementation of corrective measures,” explained the counselor.

The Indian company also stated that in January 2024 the procedures were reviewed and the necessary corrections were applied. “Informed that the company MKU, after validating the corrections, will reintegrate the MKS-6302 model into the list of compliant products by March 2024, which will become ‘Active’”, added the advisor. In consultation with the NIJ website, the MKS-6302 Category IIIA ballistic vest model from MKU Limited remained “suspended” by the North American entity this Wednesday (27).

“It is necessary to admit the file to determine the regularity of the purchase contract signed between the State of Paraná and the company MKU Limited on 12/19/2023, since at the time of signing the agreement, the product to be delivered by the contracted company no longer met the qualification requirements technique, as it was suspended by the certifying entity”, highlighted Bonilha.

The counselor reinforced that the ballistic vests to be purchased need to be reliable and of quality. For Bonilha, “the statement presented by Sesp when suggesting, without prior analysis by the contract inspector, that the quality, safety and performance of the suspended product are guaranteed by the certifying entity that suspended it” is surprising.

Counselor asked for reopening of suspended notice

In addition to the immediate suspension of the purchase contract for ballistic vests from MKU Limited, the TCE-PR advisor requests that the other notice, suspended for specific corrections shortly after the signing of the purchase terms with the Indian company, be resumed.

“Given that more than 3 months have already elapsed since the aforementioned suspension, it is reasonable to consider that the bidding Administration has already adopted the necessary measures to resume the aforementioned event”, he considered.

What those mentioned say

Gazeta do Povo contacted the Public Security Secretariat of Paraná, which said, in a note, that the purchase process is underway, and the deadline for delivery of the ballistic vests is at the beginning of the second half of 2024.

“Receipt will only be made after analysis of samples in the laboratory and verification of certificates and certificates that prove the quality and protection required in the bidding notice”, concludes the note.

The report also contacted MKU Limited, but until the publication of this report had not received a response.