The World Bank announced Oct. 19 a six-month debarment against The Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administration Ltd. and its affiliates due to fraudulent practice.
The decision followed an investigation by the bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency, which showed that in 2006, the U.K. company misrepresented the availability of a key consultant on an awarded contract under a bank-executed project.
The debarment affects the company and its affiliates, namely Greenshields, Cowie & Co. Ltd., Four Millbank Nominees Ltd., Four Millbank Holdings Ltd., Crown Agents Services Ltd., Great Peter Nominees Ltd., Crown Agents Services (India) Pvt Ltd., Crown Agents (India) Pvt Ltd., Crown Agents Investment Management Ltd., Crown Agents Bank Ltd., Greenshields Cowie (U.S.A.) Inc., Crown Agents International Ltd., Crown Agents SA (Proprietary) Ltd., Crown Agents Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd., Crown Agents Southern Africa Consulting Services (Pvt) Ltd., Crown Agents Kenya Ltd., Crown Agents Uganda Ltd., Crown Agents Mozambique LDA, Crown Agents Services (Tanzania) Ltd., Crown Agents USA Inc., Crown Agents Mongolia LLC ( a subsidiary of Crown Agents USA Inc.), Crown Agents Ghana Ltd., JCF Nominees Ltd., and Crown Agents Nigeria Ltd.
Aside from being excluded in doing business with the bank within the debarment period, the company is required to review and, if necessary, amend its corporate integrity compliance and ethics program in accordance with World Bank standards.
“The World Bank is committed to ensuring that scarce development resources are used for their intended purposes,” World Bank Integrity Vice President Leonard McCarthy said. “When we find fraudulent conduct, we will hold the wrongdoer accountable and work to ensure greater integrity and compliance going forward.”
Read more development aid news online, and subscribe to The Development Newswire to receive top international development headlines from the world’s leading donors, news sources and opinion leaders — emailed to you FREE every business day.
