A whistleblower, George McGregor, who worked on a controversial ferries contract awarded to Ferguson shipyard. He has claimed that his evidence to an inquiry into the contract was ignored. McGregor was the procurement manager at ferries agency CMAL when a £97 million deal was awarded to Ferguson shipyard.
However, the two ferries built as part of the contract are now £260 million over budget and six years late. McGregor alleges that senior staff broke procurement rules and that the shipyard should not have been shortlisted for the contract.
A lawyer's inquiry, led by KC Barry Smith, was commissioned by CMAL following claims that the procurement process may have been rigged in favor of the shipyard. However, McGregor claims that his concerns about procurement rule violations were not reflected in the inquiry's report, and he has complained that none of his evidence was acknowledged in the published report.
CMAL has stated that it was not aware of McGregor's concerns and that all relevant information in its possession was provided to the inquiry. The controversy surrounding this contract has led to significant cost overruns and delays in the delivery of the ferries.