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State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli yesterday blocked a deal between the company at the center of the CityTime scandal and the MTA.
DiNapoli rejected the MTA's $118 million contract with Science Applications International Corp. to upgrade the agency's radio system because of the firm's role in CityTime -- the city's electronic-payroll project that consultants were charged last week with bilking of $80 million.
"SAIC's role in the CityTime scandal in New York City remains unclear. There are indictments and very serious concerns about vendors involved on that project. In short, there are too many unanswered questions and too many public dollars at risk for this contract to go forward," DiNapoli said.
SAIC was in charge of the CityTime project, and city Comptroller John Liu last month warned the MTA of its record with CityTime, which was "a boon to the contractor but a boondoggle for the city," Liu said at the time.
MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said, "We share the comptroller's concerns, and in light of the gravity of recent developments it is essential that we pursue additional review before proceeding with this contract."
A DiNapoli spokesman said other contracts with SAIC and Spherion -- the consulting firm in charge of evaluating how the city spent money on CityTime -- are "on our radar screen" and will be subject to "a higher level of scrutiny."
Anybody who listens to the NYCT trunked frequencies knows how bad the reception is, it's hard to
listen to. MTA Bus on the 900mhz frequencies sounds much clearer, the MTA plans on merging both
divisions and they will share a dispatch command center in East New York, Brooklyn.
DiNapoli rejected the MTA's $118 million contract with Science Applications International Corp. to upgrade the agency's radio system because of the firm's role in CityTime -- the city's electronic-payroll project that consultants were charged last week with bilking of $80 million.
"SAIC's role in the CityTime scandal in New York City remains unclear. There are indictments and very serious concerns about vendors involved on that project. In short, there are too many unanswered questions and too many public dollars at risk for this contract to go forward," DiNapoli said.
SAIC was in charge of the CityTime project, and city Comptroller John Liu last month warned the MTA of its record with CityTime, which was "a boon to the contractor but a boondoggle for the city," Liu said at the time.
MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said, "We share the comptroller's concerns, and in light of the gravity of recent developments it is essential that we pursue additional review before proceeding with this contract."
A DiNapoli spokesman said other contracts with SAIC and Spherion -- the consulting firm in charge of evaluating how the city spent money on CityTime -- are "on our radar screen" and will be subject to "a higher level of scrutiny."
Anybody who listens to the NYCT trunked frequencies knows how bad the reception is, it's hard to
listen to. MTA Bus on the 900mhz frequencies sounds much clearer, the MTA plans on merging both
divisions and they will share a dispatch command center in East New York, Brooklyn.
