WASHINGTON, June 30, 2017 — The World Bank Group announced the debarment of Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG (Fichtner) for fifteen months in relation to sanctionable misconduct under the Southern Africa Power Market Project (SAPMP) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The sanction is part of a Negotiated Resolution Agreement (NRA), under which the company does not contest the corrupt practice by a former employee, who received improper payments in exchange for influencing a tender process under the SAPMP by significantly narrowing competition.
The agreed upon sanction reflects Fichtner’s cooperation with the World Bank investigators, the company’s voluntary acknowledgment of the misconduct and their proactivity in pursuing corrective action, including a thorough internal investigation, and the dismissal of the individual connected with the illegitimate payments. The company also took steps to improve its governance and compliance procedures while maintaining a high level of cooperation throughout the World Bank investigation.
Under the NRA with the World Bank, Fichtner will not be eligible for any World Bank-financed contracts for fifteen months. In addition, the company has agreed to further improve its compliance procedures, and to continue to cooperate with the World Bank Integrity Vice Presidency.
The debarment of the company qualifies for cross-debarment by other MDBs under the Agreement of Mutual Recognition of Debarments that was signed on April 9, 2010.
