World Bank imposes 12-month debarment for fraudulent practices in connection with a Bangladeshi health development program

On July 24, 2019, the World Bank announced that it had debarred a business unit of Merck Sharp & Dohme B.V. (MSD B.V.), a Dutch subsidiary of the U.S. publicly traded pharmaceutical company Merck & Co.  According to the facts of the case, the MSD B.V. business unit, which successfully bid on a contract to supply contraceptives for a health systems improvement project in Bangladesh, failed to disclose the full commission amount its predecessor company had agreed to pay its local agent.  The debarment is for a reduced period of twelve months as a result of MSD B.V.’s cooperation and voluntary remedial actions. 

World Bank press release