BBC News Published image copyrightGetty Images A Stormont department took part in a "clandestine" process with a firm bidding for deals to resurface NI's roads, a court has ruled. A judge said the Department for Infrastructure's conduct "entailed an egregious breach of the principle of transparency". He added that the firm had been "accorded special treatment" by the department. The proceedings centred on eight contracts awarded in 2015 The contracts, for work on roads across Northern Ireland, had a total estimated annual value of up to £52m. The Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by the Department for Infrastructure. In a statement to the BBC, the Department for Infrastructure said: "The department notes the judgment from the Court of Appeal and we are considering it with our legal advisors."