Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN)- The external panel of the World Bank (WB) will arrive in the capital Dhaka on December 01 for its second visit to review the progress of investigation by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) into the alleged Padma Bridge corruption.
During their three-day stay, the members of the team (panel), formed by the WB, will assess the pace of developments about the ACC's investigation into the alleged graft in the pre-selection process relating to the appointment of the consultant for the Padma Bridge project.
"Adequate progress in investigating corruption evidence is necessary to allow project implementation to move forward,” the Washington-based lender said in a press statement on Wednesday.
The WB Country Director in Bangladesh, Ms. Ellen Goldstein, said: "The external panel of internationally-recognized experts will advise the World Bank and co-financiers on the adequacy of the government's investigation."
Taking the cue from the WB as the lead donor agency for the project, other multilateral and bilateral agencies like the Manila-based Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had earlier also decided to stay off from financing the project.
In the latest development, the three-member anti-corruption expert panel of the WB, headed by the chief of the expert panel and former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo, will work with the ACC from December 2 to 4.
The two other members of the panel are Richard Alderman, former director of Britain's Serious Fraud Office, and Timothy Tong, former commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, People's Republic of China.
The WB-formed external panel visited Dhaka earlier on October 14-15, when it oversaw the ACC's investigation process and also offered some suggestions about making progress with the investigation.
Following the panel's first visit, the WB provided the ACC with additional information on November 13, it added.
BBN/SSR/AD-29Nov12-1:35 pm (BST)
