The Central Administrative Court has ruled in favour of the Royal Thai Navy in a lawsuit brought by a Charoen Pokphand Group (CP)-led consortium over a navy committee's decision to disqualify the consortium from bidding for the 290-billion-baht Eastern Airport City Project.
This means the CP-led consortium has officially lost its right to contend in the bidding, said a source.
The court on May 28 threw out a petition by the CP-led consortium requesting for an injunction to temporarily protect it against disqualification.
The consortium -- comprising Thana Holding Co, a company under CP Group, Italian-Thai Development Plc, Ch Karnchang Plc, B Grimm Joint Ventures Holding Co, and Orient Success International Co -- was one out of three groups which submitted bidding documents.
The court was convinced by evidence submitted by a navy committee proving that the consortium submitted its technical, financial and business documents after 3pm on March 21 -- after the deadline for receiving bidding documents had passed.
The evidence included photos showing the consortium's staff carrying boxes of documents to the registration venue at 3.08pm. The group's representatives also told the hearing the delay was caused by a traffic jam.
The committee endorsed two bidders, namely the BBS consortium -- which comprises Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Plc (STEC), Bangkok Airways Plc, and BTS Group Holdings Plc -- and the Grand Consortium, consisting of Grande Asset Hotel and Property (Grand), Asia Aviation, whose majority stake is owned by Thai AirAsia, and Christiani & Nielsen (Thai) Plc.
Navy commander Admiral Luechai Ruddit, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Navy, as the chairman of the navy's selection committee, said the committee will convene on Aug 27 to acknowledge the ruling and continue with the selection process.
"The committee is now considering technical plans submitted by the qualified bidders," he said.