ADB penalises 60 entities for corruption
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) imposed sanctions on 60 people and
firms after these entities were found guilty of corruption in 2013. In
the 2013 Annual Report of the ADB's Office of Anti-corruption and
Integrity (OAI), the sanctions on these entities were the result of 250
complaints received by the OAI last year.
"Fraud related to work experience, qualifications, and technical and
financial capacities of consulting firms or consultants continues to be
the most common type of integrity violation reported to OAI," ADB OAI
Head Clare Wee said.
The OAI said the majority of complaints came from external ADB
stakeholders, highlighting the crucial role of civil society in
combating threats to the integrity and effectiveness of ADB's
development work. In 2013 the OAI investigated 239 cases and closed 76;
while the Integrity Oversight Committee (IOC), a three-member panel that
decides whether to impose prohibitions, confirmed sanctions on 30 people
and 30 firms.
As part of an agreement between the ADB and four other multilateral
development banks, the ADB cross-debarred 324 entities. The stringent
measures help ensure development funds deliver desired results and
benefit the people of Asia and the Pacific.
In 2014 OAI expects to update its Integrity Principles and
Guidelines, consistent with similar reviews being conducted by other
multilateral development banks. OAI will also continue its
awareness-raising programs in 2014 to help ADB staff to spot the warning
signs of corruption and fraud.
In the Philippines two firms and people have been barred by the ADB
from participating in the bidding for projects funded by the
Manila-based multilateral agency.
All the people and one firm were barred indefinitely while one firm's
debarment will last until 2017.
Based on ADB rules, sanctions for integrity violations require a
three-year debarment. The IOC may impose a greater or lesser debarment
periods depending on the circumstance of each case.
For firms and people experiencing first debarments, including cases
where a party has previously been given a reprimand.
For people, the sanction could last from a year to indefinite while
firms' sanctions could last as long as seven years. For firms and people
experiencing second debarments, the sanction for people could last
indefinitely while firms' sanctions could last up to 10 years.
The ADB said subsequent debarments means that sanctions for people
could be indefinite while sanctions for firms can reach up to 20 years.
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