Estonia, Financial Services, Markets and Companies, Oil, Port

The reason for the request for an audit is the questions raised in the media, which have to be checked over and changes made to procedures if shortcomings are revealed in order to avoid a repetition of mistakes in the future, Michal told.

TS Laevad has maintained that all providers of services are selected by means of a competition and the failure to send an invitation to one supplier was a technical mistake which has to be regretted and which was corrected later. Besides, not all fuel sellers in Estonia offer ship fuel.

Delfi reported over the weekend that TS Laevad, subsidiary of the state-owned company Port of Tallinn that is about to start serving a ten-year contract for operating subsidized ferry services between the mainland and Estonia's large western islands next month, shunned several major Estonian fuel trading companies in the tender.

The manager of TS Laevad, Kaido Padar, told the news portal that he knew nothing of companies such as Orlen and Mark Oil. Speaking of a third potential supplier, Jetoil, Padar said the company was known to TS Laevad but they forgot to send them tender documents on time.

Alexela Oil has been chosen to supply up to 6 mln liters of diesel to TS Laevad during 12 months for an estimated 5-6 mln euros.