The World Bank has barred a unit of Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht S.A., for three years from bank-financed projects, citing alleged fraud on a flood control and wastewater treatment project in Colombia.
银行announcedon Jan. 29 that it and Odebrecht had reached a settlement that includes the debarment of the parent company’s Brazilian construction and engineering subsidiary Construtora Norberto Odebrecht S.A., alleging that it took part in “fraudulent and collusive practices” related to the $487-million Rio Bogota environmental restoration and flood control project.
Odebrecht is a major international construction firm. ENR’s 2018 Top Global Contractors list shows Odebrecht Engenharia E Construcao ranking No. 98, with 2017 worldwide revenue of $3.35 billion.
In the settlement, Odebrecht “acknowledges responsibility for the underlying sanctionable practices and agrees to meet specified corporate compliance conditions” to be released from the debarment, according to the bank.
In statement emailed to ENR on Jan. 30, Odebrecht says that its settlement with the World Bank is similar to agreements the company has signed with entities in Brazil and other countries. They include settlements with the U.S., Switzerland, Dominican Republic, Panama, Ecuador and Guatemala.
Odebrecht adds that it “is still in negotiations with other countries.”
The company also says that it has committed to continue the “improvement process” of a compliance program that it has implemented in the past two years, in accord with the World Bank Integrity Compliance Guidelines.
The World Bank said that Odebrecht failed to disclose fees it paid to “commercial agents” in prequalification and bidding stages for the Colombian project. It added, “These agents assisted the company in obtaining confidential information.”
该银行补充说，通过其中一个代理商的帮助，公司“试图影响成为项目的一部分的招标套餐，从事世界银行采购指南禁止的刑事契约。”
ENR requested a copy of the settlement but a bank spokesperson said that the document is confidential.
世界银行表示，撤销三年的撤销期限“鉴于公司合作和自愿补救行动”，“鉴于公司的合作和自愿补救行动”。
To be released from the debarment, the company has pledged to develop an “integrity compliance program” and continue to cooperate with the bank.
According to the World Bank, its debarment of Odebrecht “qualifies for cross-debarment with other multilateral development banks.”
哥伦比亚项目
According to a World Bank report, the Colombian project has a total estimated cost of $487 million. The bank’s share is a $250-million loan, which it approved in December 2010.
该项目有四个要素：升级和扩大废水处理厂;沿着RIO波哥大的防洪和环境恢复;环境和水研究;和项目管理和管理。
According to a Dec. 19, 2018, World Bankdocument, the flood control component is finished, but the contract for the largest item, the wastewater treatment plant, didn’t begin until April 2017. It was at 40% completion as of last Nov. 30, which the bank said was “ahead of schedule.” A bank update gives the current targeted completion date for the treatment plant as September 2021.
In December 2016—in what U.S. officials said was then the largest global foreign bribery settlement ever—the U.S. Dept. of JusticeannouncedOdeBrecht S.A.和石化公司Braskem S.A已经认定有罪，并同意支付35亿美元的支付美国，巴西和瑞士支付“数亿美元”在各国的政府官员中支付“数亿美元”的指控。
Doj说，总处罚总处罚下，OdeBrecht的份额在26亿美元之间和45亿美元之间。根据Doj的说法，Modebrecht是“有效地控制的”布拉斯克。
