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Consultant Rider Levett Bucknall has been criticised for its role in an allegedly 鈥渞igged鈥� competition to build the Lyric Theatre in Belfast, with the Northern Ireland finance minister saying he has 鈥渟erious concerns鈥� about the firm鈥檚 work.

Last week, the Northern Irish Public Accounts Committee said it was left with a 鈥渧ery strong impression鈥� that the procurement of a contractor for the 拢18m job was 鈥渞igged and manipulated鈥� and the cost estimates were 鈥渦nrealistic鈥�.

Rider Levett Bucknall (RLB) carried out the tender cost assessment for the Northern Ireland Department of Culture Arts and Leisure (DCAL) and Arts Council Northern Ireland in 2008. The actions of all three bodies were subject to criticism.

Responding to the findings, Northern Ireland finance minister Simon Hamilton said it was a 鈥渕atter of serious concern to me鈥� that the external professional advisers were not judged by the Northern Ireland Audit Office to have applied best practice.

The contract to build the O鈥橠onnell & Tuomey-designed theatre was awarded to contractor Gilbert-Ash Northern Ireland.

The committee found there were 鈥渦nexplained adjustments鈥� to the tender submissions.

The committee also found that 鈥渢he private sector consultants who produced the tender valuation report鈥� - which was RLB - 鈥渄estroyed the tendering documentation very promptly after the tender evaluation meeting鈥�.

The report listed this as one of six 鈥渃ompletely unacceptable departures from long-establised principles of good practice鈥� on the project.

Committee member Trevor Clarke said the absence of any tender documents to be examined by the committee was 鈥渟uspicious鈥�.

But Peter May, accounting officer at the DCAL, said the department had not placed any requirement on RLB to keep the documents.

Chair of the committee Michaela Boyle, added: 鈥淒CAL, the Arts Council and the Central Procurement Directorate were unable to provide any assurance that the contract had been awarded in a fair and equitable manner. We believe they did not discharge their duty properly, and failed to ensure the proper use of public funds.鈥�

A spokesperson for RLB did not comment on why the tender documents had been destroyed but said the tender process was 鈥渞un in strict compliance with the OJEU regulations鈥� and the consultant had not been invited to give evidence to the committee or the Northern Ireland Audit Office.