Lesotho: World Bank Finally Debars Company Convicted of Bribery

The World Bank has finally debarred Acres International, nearly two years after it was found guilty by a Lesotho court of corruption on Africa's largest dam project. Reacting to the move, Korinna Horta of the US-based group Environmental Defence said, "This long overdue action on Acres is very much welcome, and hopefully signals a more forceful World Bank approach to corruption on its projects. But the fact that a court case in Lesotho was decisive in the limited debarment of Acres appears to be a case of the tail wagging the dog. It remains to be seen if this will lead to more systemic changes in how the Bank approaches corruption."