KNOE-TV; TV8; Monroe News; KNOE.com |Port declines drydock bid after ethics ruling
Member Center:
Associated Press - June 17, 2009 12:54 PM ET
HOUMA, La. (AP) - The Terrebonne Port Commission threw out a bid Tuesday by Larose-based North American Shipbuilding for construction of a drydock after the state ethics board ruled the bid violated conflict-of-interest laws.
The company, an affiliate of Edison Chouest Offshore of Galliano, submitted the low bid on the project, $19.5 million.
The dock in Houma was to be leased by another Chouest affiliate, shipyard developer LaShip.
In its preliminary opinion, the ethics board said LaShip is a "public servant" in its contract with the port. State law prohibits a public servant's immediate family or a "legal entity" in which an immediate family member owns an interest of more than 25% or more from doing business with the public servant's agency.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
