The cases involved high-value contracts and panels established to appoint routine road maintenance contractors and category 2 engineering consultants. Alleged irregularity in road maintenance contractsThe most serious failures emerged in Sanral’s proposed five-year panel of 20 road maintenance contractors. The agency will now abandon the panel model and return to procuring road maintenance contractors and engineering consultants individually through open tenders. Demana also rejected allegations that he unilaterally extended the contracts of existing road maintenance companies because he stood to benefit. “Despite that irregular expenditure, Sanral received unqualified audit opinions throughout the relevant period, because no confirmed irregular expenditure was linked to fraudulent or criminal intent,” he said.