The World Bank has barred PricewaterhouseCoopers network affiliates in Mauritius, Kenya, and Rwanda from providing professional services on bank-financed projects for 21 months after finding they engaged in collusive and fraudulent practices tied to an East African power project, Bloomberg reported.
The sanctions relate to work connected to the construction of a high-voltage transmission line linking Kenya and Ethiopia. The World Bank said the three units, including Mauritius-based PwC Africa Associates Ltd., improperly obtained confidential procurement information from project officials in 2019 in order to influence the award of consultancy services, according to Bloomberg.
The three PwC affiliates admitted culpability for sanctionable practices as part of a settlement, Bloomberg reported. In exchange, the World Bank imposed a shorter debarment period and required the firms to strengthen their internal integrity and compliance programs.
The contract at issue involved implementing global accounting standards at Ethiopia Electric Power Corp. The World Bank also said the firms tried to influence the award of another EEPC contract by misrepresenting the availability, qualifications, and employment status of key experts and by failing to disclose all subconsultants, according to the report.
Read more at Bloomberg