World Bank debars African Consulting Surveyors and director

The World Bank Group has announced a 29-month debarment for African Consulting Surveyors (ACS) and its Managing Director, Willem Jan Timmerman, due to fraudulent and collusive practices.

The misconduct occurred during the Mozambique Land Administration Project (Terra Segura), an initiative designed to improve land tenure security and administrative efficiency in response to an armed insurgency in northern Mozambique. ACS secured two contracts through a joint venture by falsely certifying that no commissions or fees were paid for procurement. In reality, the firm paid undisclosed business development consultants.

Additionally, ACS obtained confidential procurement information and draft bidding documents from third-party facilitators to influence technical specifications and gain an improper competitive advantage. Under a settlement agreement, both ACS and Mr. Timmerman admitted culpability. The debarment period was reduced due to their cooperation and voluntary corrective actions, but they remain ineligible to participate in projects financed by World Bank Group institutions for the duration of the term.