Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – The three-member panel of World Bank (WB), assigned to review the investigation into the Padma bridge corruption allegation, reached in the capital Dhaka early Sunday.
This is the maiden visit of the team as a series of visit to assess the conduct of the Anti-Corruption Commission’s probe into the alleged corruption in the project.
The team is scheduled to sit with the anti-graft body at its Segunbagicha office in Dhaka on Sunday, an official of WB’s Dhaka office said.
Luis Moreno Ocampo, a former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, is leading the delegation, which will submit a report to the World Bank in this regard later. The panel will also share its findings with the Bangladesh government and other co-financiers of the project.
The other members of the panel are Timothy Tong, former commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Peoples Republic of China; and Richard Alderman, former director of the UK Serious Fraud Office.
The WB had announced the appointment of the panel on October 5.
The global lender cancelled its $1.2 billion credit for the Padma bridge project in June, saying it had proof of a corruption conspiracy involving Bangladeshi officials, executives of a Canadian firm and private individuals.
Bangladesh will get the World Bank’s financing for the Padma bridge project if the WB’s external panel finds satisfactory the country’s handling of corruption allegations over the project.
BBN/SSR/AD-14Oct12-11:10 am (BST)
