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U.S. Inspector Probing $293 Mln Aegis Award for Iraq Security

By Tony Capaccio      July 30 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. inspector general for Iraq reconstruction is investigating the May award of a $293 million security contract to a London-based consulting firm as critics said it should be rescinded, according to a new report.      The audit related to the Aegis Defence Systems Ltd. contract, to be completed next month, was requested by U.S. officials in Baghdad, Coalition Provisional Authority Inspector General Stuart Bowen said.      ``The objective of the audit is to evaluate the awarding of the security contract,'' Bowen wrote. ``The audit will evaluate procedures the Army used to plan the acquisition, select the source and negotiate the contract.''      Funding for the work will come from the $18.4 billion in congressionally approved U.S. tax dollars for use in Iraqi reconstruction efforts. The Army has issued orders against the contract worth about $92 million to provide security for contractors and U.S. Program Management Office personnel, according to a spread sheet included in the audit.      The Washington-based Irish National Caucus is pressing the government to terminate the contract, alleging that the president of Aegis commanded a British Army unit in Northern Ireland that gunned down an unarmed civilian in 1992.      The group wrote this month to President George W. Bush; Senator John Warner of Virginia, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee; and Democratic presidential nominee Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts.                         Computer Sciences      Another protest was filed on June 22 with the U.S. Government Accountability Office by competitor Computer Sciences Corp.'s DynCorp International unit, which is trying to reopen the competition, according to Daniel Gordon, the office's contracts attorney.      The Government Accountability Office reviews contract protests. The review will be completed by Sept. 30, Gordon said.      ``We have filed a protest,'' Computer Sciences spokeswoman Janet Herin said in an e-mailed statement. ``It is under protective order. We cannot discuss the matter any further.''      Aegis Defence's Washington-based attorney John Pachter referred all calls to company spokeswoman Sarah Pearson in London, who did not immediately reply to a phone call and e-mail requesting comment. --Editor: Davidson