WASHINGTON, June 20, 2018— The World Bank Group today announced the debarment of a construction company and a consultant in connection with fraudulent practices in two separate projects in Nicaragua.
The debarments make Nicaragua-based Constructora Quintero S.A. – CONSTRUQUINSA and Jelua del Carmen Abdalah Ramirez ineligible to participate in World Bank Group-financed projects for periods of 15 and 18 months, respectively. They are part of two separate settlement agreements, under which the company and consultant acknowledge responsibility for the underlying sanctionable practices.
Constructora Quintero was debarred for 15 months in connection with fraudulent practices under the Education Sector Strategy Support Project in Nicaragua. The project was designed to increase access to preschool and lower secondary education in select municipalities in Nicaragua, and improve the quality of preschool and lower secondary education nationwide. According to the facts described in the settlement agreement, Constructora Quintero misrepresented its credentials and submitted a forged document to win contracts for the construction and improvement of two schools, which is a fraudulent practice under the World Bank procurement guidelines.
Ms. Abdalah, a project consultant, has been debarred for 18 months in connection with fraudulent practices under the Hurricane Felix Emergency Recovery Project in Nicaragua. According to facts described in the settlement agreement, Ms. Abdalah falsified procurement documents in favor of two companies bidding on contracts to build public facilities as part of the project. Under World Bank consultant guidelines, these actions constitute a fraudulent practice.
The settlement agreement with Ms. Abdalah provides for a reduced period of debarment in light of her cooperation and voluntary remedial actions. As a condition for release from sanction under the terms of the settlement agreement, Ms. Abdalah commits to undertake ethics training consistent with the principles set out in the World Bank Group Integrity Compliance Guidelines. She also commits to continue to fully cooperate with the World Bank Group Integrity Vice Presidency.
The debarment of Constructora Quintero and Ms. Abdalah qualify for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks (MDBs) under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions that was signed on April 9, 2010.
