By Adedapo Adesanya
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has debarred Kenyan civil engineering company, Global Interjapan Limited, for three years over fraud.
The disclosure was made on Tuesday by the regional lender and the blacklisting took effect from August 24, 2020.
The debarment renders Global Interjapan (Kenya) Limited and its affiliates ineligible to participate in bank group-financed projects during the three-year period.
An investigation conducted by the bank’s Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption established that Global Interjapan (Kenya) Limited engaged in fraudulent practices during a tender for the bank-financed Small Scale Irrigation and Value Addition Project in Kenya.
In the statement issued today, the financial institution said the debarment qualifies for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions, including the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank Group.
At the expiry of the debarment period, Global Interjapan (Kenya) Limited will only be eligible to participate in projects funded by the bank on condition that it implements an integrity compliance program consistent with the AfDB’s guidelines.
The Small Scale Irrigation and Value Addition Project aimed at reducing poverty by enhancing agricultural productivity, income and food security among the residents of 11 counties in Kenya, and was co-financed by the African Development Bank, a constituent entity of the African Development Bank Group.
The Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption of the AfDB is responsible for preventing, deterring and investigating allegations of corruption, fraud and other sanctionable practices in Bank Group-financed operations.
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