For involving in collusive and fraudulent practices, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has slammed Maxicare Company (Nigerian) Limited with a 36-month debarment.

In a press statement released Wednesday, AfDB said the debarment took effect from February 23, 2021 and will last for 36 months.

This follows an investigation conducted by the bank’s Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption which indicated that the limited liability company was involved in fraudulent practices during a tender for the construction of weigh stations and supply of equipment under the Transport Facilitation Program for the Bamenda-Mamfe-Abakaliki-Enugu Road Corridor connecting Cameroon and Nigeria.

The Transport Facilitation Program co-financed by the African Development Fund (IDF), an entity of the AfDB is aimed at increasing trade and strengthening cooperation between the countries of the Economic Community of Central African States and those of the Economic Community of West African States and between Cameroon and Nigeria in particular.

According to the statement, Maxicare and its affiliates will be ineligible to participate in the bank’s group-financed projects within the period.

Also, “the debarment qualifies for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions, including the Asian Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank Group,” the financial institution said.

The AfDB further noted that the registered company will only be qualified to participate in the bank’s financed projects after it must have implemented an integrity compliance program consistent with the bank’s guidelines, upon the expiry of the debarment.