World Bank bars Nigerian firm AIM Consultants from participating in its projects for 52 months

WORLD Bank officials have sanctioned Nigerian consultancy company AIM Consultants and its managing director Amin Moussalli for corrupt practices following an investigation into the firm's role in an erosion and water management project.

AIM Consultants, which was involved in the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project, was sanctioned for 52 months for improper payment of N12.95m to certain projects officials. In a statement titled World Bank Group Debars AIM Consultants and its managing director, which was published on the bank’s website, the company was barred from applying for any similar projects for 52 months.

The World Bank statement read: “The World Bank Group today announced the 52-month sanction of AIM Consultants Limited, a consultancy company based in Nigeria and its managing director, Amin Moussalli, in connection with corrupt practices as part of the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project. The sanction consists of a 34-month debarment followed by an 18-month conditional non-debarment and the debarments make AIM Consultants and Moussalli ineligible to participate in projects and operations financed by the World Bank Group.”

This decision was reached after settlement agreements were negotiated under which the company and Mr Moussalli acknowledged their responsibility for the corrupt practices and agreed to meet specified corporate compliance conditions before the end of the debarment. After the 34-month debarment, the firm and its boss will be able to participate in projects and operations financed by the World Bank Group as long as they comply with their obligations under the settlement agreement.

“Following the initial debarment period, the sanction of AIM Consultants and Moussalli will convert to a conditional non-debarment. During this time, they will be eligible to participate in projects and operations financed by institutions of the World Bank Group as long as they comply with their obligations under the settlement agreement.

“Otherwise, the conditional non-debarment will revert to a sanction of debarment with conditional release and the company and Moussalli then will become ineligible to participate in World Bank Group projects and operations until the conditions for release set out in the settlement agreement are met. The project aims to reduce vulnerability to soil erosion in targeted sub-watersheds.

"According to the facts of the case, during implementation of two World Bank-financed consultancy services contracts for the provision of engineering design and supervision works in Enugu and Cross River States in Nigeria, AIM Consultants made improper payments totalling N12,954,400 ($45,500) to project officials,” the World Bank statement read.