Polidano Brothers Limited yesterday filed a judicial protest in the Civil Court against the Malta Maritime Authority and the director of contracts.

The company declared that the MMA had issued a notice of a pre-qualification tender for the construction of an extension to the Cirkewwa breakwater.

All offers were to be submitted to the director of contracts.

Polidano Brothers Limited had submitted its offer for this tender, which was regulated by conditions published by the MMA.

These conditions provided that only those applicants included in the short list of approved bidders would be permitted to draw documents and submit bids for the projects.

Following a meeting, Polidano Brothers Limited had been informed by the MMA that it had been shortlisted for this tender.

The MMA and the director general had published a notice in the Government Gazette declaring that offers were being received from qualified persons for the project.

But the company declared that respondents were now releasing documents and accepting offers from all interested parties, and not from those tenderers who were pre-qualified.

This was detrimental to the company's rights and in violation of the pre-qualification tender conditions.

Furthermore, Polidano Brothers Limited had not been invited to withdraw the documents.

The company concluded its protest by calling on respondents to summon it to withdraw the tender documents, and challenged respondents not to accept any offers save from companies that had satisfied the pre-qualification conditions.

Respondents were also held liable in damages.

Dr Michael Sciriha and Dr Aron Mifsud Bonnici signed the protest.