DECISION DEFERRED BY A YEAR MEANS THAT JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED
(Posted 06th April 2017)
The Ugandan rafting industry, an integral part of the country’s tourism industry, is perplexed, as are wide sections of the conservation fraternity, when news broke that the recommendation of the Inspection Panel to launch a formal investigation into the allegation made over the Isimba Dam and other alleged infringements on the deal the World Bank made with the Ugandan government upon closing the Bujagali financing deal, would be deferred by up to 12 months.
It was the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors which arrived at this strange decision, given the facts presented to the Inspection Panel and the panel’s own findings. The Board reportedly disagreed with the independent Inspection Panel with regard to investigating the Bujagali guarantee project because that project is closed, even though the offset agreements remains valid into perpetuity.
The Panel’s Report and Recommendation and Management Response can be found on the Panel’s website at this link:http://ewebapps.worldbank.org/apps/ip/Pages/ViewCase.aspx?CaseId=119
Shocking to say the least and allegations are now suggesting that vested interests have overruled what would have been the right thing to do, seeing the World Bank’s reputation in tatters given their previous stalling attitude when the issues where first brought to their attention.
Local advocacy groups are presently re-examining what other options exist including taking into account the damning reports now available about the construction shortfalls detected at the Isimba dam by local experts sent in to establish the true extent of the contractors failings.
