On April 16, 2024, the World Bank published a Notice of Uncontested Sanctions Proceedings (“Notice”) related to the debarment of Timir LLP for a period of 2 years and 8 months. The World Bank reported that the debarment was issued because Timir engaged in a “fraudulent practice” in connection with the Enhancing Resilience in Kyrgyzstan Project financed by the World Bank (the “Project”). The Project was aimed at strengthening the government of Kyrgyzstan’s ability to respond to disasters, provide a safer and improved learning environment for children, and reduce the adverse financial impact of “natural hazards” on the people of Kyrgyzstan. According to the World Bank, Timir misrepresented its past experience in order to win a contract under the Project. On June 28, 2023, the World Bank’s Chief Suspension and Debarment Officer issued a Notice of Sanctions Proceedings, which contained a Statement of Accusations and Evidence. The World Bank stated that Timir did not contest the allegations, resulting in the World Bank implementing the recommended sanctions set forth in the Notice of Sanctions Proceedings.
Specifically, the World Bank issued a debarment of two years and eight months with conditional release. The length of the debarment was based on Timir’s limited cooperation with World Bank investigators, as the company admitted it had misrepresented its experience but never accepted responsibility for the misconduct. The debarment makes Timir, and any affiliate-entity that it controls, ineligible to work on World Bank projects throughout the debarment period.
As a condition of release from debarment, Timir must take appropriate remedial measures to address the alleged fraudulent practice. It must also adopt and implement an integrity compliance program in accordance with the World Bank’s Sanctions Procedures.