The World Bank has sacked three staff members after an investigation revealed they had accepted bribes from several Swedish companies in return for steering contracts worth US$900,000 to the firms. Contracts were also awarded for “ineligible activities.” The matter is being referred to US and Swedish criminal authorities.
The Bank was alerted to the scam through a call placed to its hotline for reporting fraud and corruption. A spokeswoman said the Bank was “dismayed that companies would try to entice staff” by offering kickbacks, “and even more dismayed that three staff actually responded.”
