World Bank Group Blacklists Chinese Company Liaoning-EFACEC Electrical Equipment Company Limited Over Fraud In Zambia

The World Bank today announced the 20-month debarment of China-based Liaoning-EFACEC Electrical Equipment Company Limited (LEEEC), a company that provides design, manufacturing, and maintenance services for electrical equipment, in connection with fraudulent practices as part of the Lusaka Transmission and Distribution Rehabilitation Project in Zambia.

The debarment makes LEEEC ineligible to participate in World Bank-financed projects. It is part of a settlement agreement under which the company acknowledges responsibility for the underlying sanctionable practices and agrees to meet specified corporate compliance conditions as a condition for release from debarment.

The project was designed to increase the capacity and improve the reliability of the electricity transmission and distribution system in Lusaka, Zambia. According to the facts of the case, LEEEC failed to disclose a conflict of interest and misrepresented its past contract experience to meet the requirements of a contract under the project, which is a fraudulent practice.

The settlement agreement provides for a reduced period of debarment in light of the company’s cooperation and voluntary remedial actions. As a condition for release from sanction under the terms of the settlement agreement, the company commits to developing an integrity compliance program consistent with the principles set out in the World Bank Group Integrity Compliance Guidelines. The company also commits to continue to fully cooperate with the World Bank Group Integrity Vice Presidency.

The debarment of LEEEC qualifies 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.