The Director of the Integrity and Anti-Corruption DepartmentLutte contre la corruption et enquêtes sur la fraude (IACD), Ms. Anna Bossman, today in Tunis, formally handed over four reports (Findings of Sanctionable Practices) to the Sanctions Commissioner under the new sanctions regime.

As Sanctions Commissioner, Maitre Akere T. Muna will determine whether IACD's Findings are supported by preponderance of the evidence and upon receipt of the Respondent's Response, impose a sanction.

Maitre Muna's appointment was approved on February 11, 2013 by the Bank's Board of Directors. He heads the Sanctions Office and is supported by an Alternate Sanctions Commissioner who acts in his absence. Both Maitre Muna and the Alternate Sanctions Commissioner are external experts appointed for an initial period of three years. This structure is a critical component of the Bank Group's efforts to ensure an efficient, effective and fair sanctions process against entities alleged to have participated in sanctionable practices. Debarment decisions under the Bank's sanctions process are subject to cross-debarment in conformity with the Agreement for the Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions entered into between Participating Institutions on April 9, 2010. Decisions by the Sanctions Commissioner may be appealed to the Sanctions Appeals Board, the second tier of the sanctions process.

On July 5, 2012, the Board of Directors of the Bank Group approved the proposal for the implementation of a sanctions process within the Bank Group. Among other matters, the proposal provides for the implementation of a two-tier sanctions process, which would separate the investigative role performed by the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Department from that of imposition of sanctions which will be performed by the Sanctions Office as the first tier, and the Sanctions Appeals Board as the second and appellate tier.