World Bank bars AIM Consultants for 4years, as Nigerian companies blacklisted now 56

AIM Consultants Limited a Nigerian consultancy company has joined the list of 55 other Nigerian companies blacklisted by the World Bank from getting its contracts over corruption.

The bank disclosed the latest entrant in a statement made available on its website titled ‘World Bank Group Debars AIM Consultants Limited and its Managing Director for alleged corrupt practices.”

The Bretton Woods institution said AIM would no longer be able to get contracts for 52 months (4 years and 3 months) after involvement in corrupt practices in its Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project.

It was revealed the company paid N12.95m to certain projects officials.

The statement reads in part, “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.

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“The sanction consists of a 34-month debarment followed by an 18-month conditional non-debarment. The debarments make AIM Consultants and Moussalli ineligible to participate in projects and operations financed by the World Bank Group.”

The debarment was made after settlement agreements under which the company and Moussalli acknowledge 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 MD 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.

It added, “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.”

It added, “The project aims to reduce vulnerability to soil erosion in targeted sub-watersheds. According to the facts of the case, during the 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 (approx. $45,500) to project officials.”

AIM joins the list of other 55 Nigerian companies in the black list of the world bank which includes Karitex Limited, Shereena Agriculture Ltd, Vikram Deepak Gursahaney, Sharda Impex (U.K.) Ltd. all banned permanently from getting World Bank, or similar organization’s contracts.

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