Cleaning Up The World Bank
Its mission: to end global poverty. But corruption has cost it billions. How to weed out the crooks and grifters
$115 million in funding for road projects in Kenya was halted after an investigation found two bank employees and a Kenyan official involved in bribery and bid-rigging with contractors. The two bank employees pleaded guilty to criminal charges.
GUINEA-BISSAU: Transport and Urban Infrastructure Project
Leslie Pean, a World Bank employee, was fired for allegedly accepting a bribe in connection with the award of a $580,000 training contract. The FBI and IRS are investigating Pean.
INDIA: Reproductive and Child Health Project
President Wolfowitz has held up $800 million in new health funding for India because of allegations that politicians profited from a project and harmful drugs were given to nursing mothers. The bank is still investigating.
LESOTHO: Highlands Water Project
Federal Appeals Court in Lesotho upheld the convictions of western companies fortheir involvement in a bribery scheme to obtain millions of dollars in contracts on this southern African dam project, partially funded by the World Bank.
BOLIVIA: Rural Investment Project
15 people convicted in Bolivia for kickbacks and fraudulent invoices related to contracts on a $62.8 million rural economic project. Investigators found little work done and that rural mayors used the money to finance their political campaigns.
INDONESIA: Various Projects
More than 130 Indonesian firms and individuals have been barred from doing business with the bank because of evidence of bid-collusion, creation of shell companies, and kickbacks on various projects. In one investigation, the bank ordered the government to repay $10 million from a loan that was meant to purchase textbooks for schools.
BANGLADESH: Road Repair Contracts
World Bank suspended $220 million in funding for a road project after kickbacks, bid-collusion and other problems were found in $35 million worth of contracts to repair roads devastated by floods in 2003.
[map labels]
Chad
Russia
Uzbekistan
Congo (Brazzaville)
Senegal
Democratic Republic of Congo
Gambia
Nigeria
Madagascar
East Timor
Burkina Faso
Albania
Cambodia
Kenya
Guinea
Croatia
Lithuania
Bangladesh
Uganda
Bolivia
Guinea-Bissau
India
Indonesia
Lesotho
Sierra Leone
Burundi
Argentina
Bulgaria
Colombia
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Papua-New Guinea
Pakistan
Malawi
Sources: The World Bank and court documents
Reporting by Danielle Knight and Edward T. Pound
With Jennifer Jack
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