By: ThinkBusiness Africa
The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has officially cancelled any official dealings with Mr. Martin Obiero Achieng, a Kenyan national, for a period of 24 months following an investigation into fraudulent practices, AfDB said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the statement the sanction, which takes immediate effect, comes after the Bank’s Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption (PIAC) uncovered evidence of deceit during a competitive recruitment process.
AfDB’s said, Achieng engaged in “Fraudulent Practice” while applying for a consultancy position within the Bank Group. While the Bank did not disclose the specific details of the misrepresentation, such charges typically involve the falsification of academic credentials, past work experience, or professional references to gain an unfair advantage in the hiring process.
Under the terms of the debarment, Achieng—and any entity under his direct or indirect control—is strictly prohibited from participating in any project or activity financed by the African Development Bank Group for the next two years.
Unlike standard bans, this is a debarment with conditional release. To be eligible for reinstatement after the 24-month period, Achieng must prove he has successfully completed “suitable business ethics and anti-corruption training.”
“An investigation conducted by the Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption of the African Development Bank Group established that, in the context of a recruitment for a consultancy position within the African Development Bank Group, Mr. Martin Obiero Achieng committed a Fraudulent Practice.” AfDB noted.
This is not the first time Achieng’s name has appeared in legal records. In 2021, Achieng was the respondent in a high-profile civil appeal in Kenya (Samwel Otieno Ochieng v Martin Obiero Achieng).
In that case, the High Court of Kenya ultimately dismissed the appeal against him, but notably did so because the appellant failed to prosecute the case.
The move against Achieng is part of a wider “clean-up” initiative by the AfDB. Within the last two months, the Bank has sanctioned several other East African firms, including Tetralink Taylor & Associates East Africa Limited, for similar fraudulent practices.
Earlier this January, AfDB barred IYA S.A.R.L., a construction company in the Republic of Mali, from participating in any projects financed by the Bank Group for the next 20-month, AfDB accused the firm of “fraudulent practices” during the construction Guinea-Mali Electricity Interconnection Project (PIEGM).
“The Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption is responsible for preventing, deterring, and investigating allegations of fraud in Bank Group-financed operations,” the AfDB stated in its release,
