World Bank debars Zoomlion for bribery in Liberia

The World Bank Group has announced the debarment of Zoomlion Ghana Limited (Zoomlion), a privately held company headquartered in Ghana for a period of two years following the company’s acknowledgment of misconduct impacting the World Bank-financed the Emergency Monrovia Urban Sanitation Project in Liberia. 

The company paid bribes to facilitate contract execution and processing of invoices.

The debarment is part of a Negotiated Resolution Agreement (NRA) which acknowledges the company’s cooperation and disciplinary measures against staff involved in the misconduct. 

The two-year debarment came into effect on September 24, 2013. During this period, Zoomlion will not qualify for any contract financed by the World Bank Group. As part of the settlement, the company will also need to demonstrate full and satisfactory compliance with the World Bank Integrity standards.

“This is a case where a company under a World Bank investigation is demonstrating responsibility for wrongdoing by enforcing disciplinary action and committing to a new standard of integrity governing its operations,” said Leonard McCarthy, World Bank Integrity Vice President. 

He added that “Promoting this type of corporate responsibility while holding companies accountable for wrongdoing is one of the strategic pillars of the World Bank’s anti-corruption strategy.”

Zoomlion’s debarment qualifies for cross-debarment by other MDBs under the Agreement of Mutual Recognition of Debarments that was signed on April 9, 2010.


Source: World Bank