SNC70

The Statement of Charges and Evidence (the "Statement of Charges") prepared by the Office of Institutional Integrity ("OII") contained OII’s charge that the Respondent had participated in a fraudulent practice sanctionable under the IDB Group Sanctions Procedures. OII alleged that the Respondent had knowingly misrepresented both his employment status and absence of a conflict of interest in order to mislead the executing agency into believing that he complied with the requirements to be awarded a contract and, as a result, obtained and maintained the financial benefit derived from it.

Consequently, and in accordance with the Sanctions Procedures, the Sanctions Officer issued a Notice of Administrative Action (the “Notice”) to the Respondent. In its Response to the Notice, the Respondent contested the charges brought by OII. Following the issuance of the Notice and reviewing the Respondent’s response, the Sanctions Officer issued a Determination finding that it was more likely than not that the Respondent had participated in a fraudulent practice.

The Sanctions Officer imposed a two-year debarment against the Respondent, making him ineligible to participate in projects financed by the IDB Group, including institutional procurements and third-party funded activities. The Respondent appealed the Sanction Officer’s Determination to the Sanctions Committee.

Following a review of the record (including the Statement of Charges, the Notice, the Respondent’s Response, the Sanctions Officer’s Determination, the Respondent’s Appeal and the OII’s Reply), the Committee decided that it was more likely than not that the Respondent, who was a consultant for an IDB-financed project in Guyana, had participated in a fraudulent practice in order to secure his position and maintain the financial benefit derived from it.

The Committee concluded that the Respondent failed to disclose his full-time employment with another government agency in Guyana, making subsequent misleading statements regarding the nature of that employment. The Committee further stated that the evidence supported the finding that these misrepresentations were made for the purpose of securing and retaining his position with the IDB-financed project in Guyana, which carried an annual remuneration. 

The Committee imposed on the Respondent the sanction of debarment for a period of three (3) years. During that period, the Respondent will be ineligible to participate in or be awarded contracts for projects or activities financed by the IDB Group. In determining the sanction, the Committee considered that there was no applicable aggravating or mitigating factors.

This sanction is subject to cross-debarment by the Multilateral Development Banks signatories to the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions.