海风

World Bank Had Cited Concerns About Satyam

萨蒂扬软件技术有限公司(Satyam Computer Services Ltd.)的崩溃可能会令世界银行遭受打击，上个月世行才打破沉默，表示怀疑该公司有行贿行为。
The implosion of Satyam Computer Services Ltd. may batter the World Bank, which kept quiet until last month about its suspicions the firm engaged in bribery.

据世行人士称，该行早在2006年就通知美国司法部，它怀疑萨蒂扬可能涉嫌行贿。2008年2月，世行暂停萨蒂扬参加新合约竞标，9月份又正式取消该公司参与未来的合约竞标的资格。
As early as 2006, the World Bank told the U.S. Justice Department it suspected Satyam may have been involved in bribery, according to bank officials. In February 2008, it temporarily suspended Satyam from bidding on new contracts, and then in September formally made the firm ineligible to bid on future contracts.

不过世界银行直到12月23日才公布这项决定，而那之前媒体已经对此进行了报导。华盛顿监管组织政府问责计划(Government Accountability Project)国际改革主管比"爱德华兹(Bea Edwards)说，世界银行本该在公布自己所知的萨蒂扬最高层有违规行为方面表现得更负责。
But it didn't announce the ban, called a debarment, until Dec. 23 --and then only after press reports about it. 'The bank should have been more responsible about reporting publicly on what they knew to be misconduct at highest levels of Satyam,' said Bea Edwards,international reform director at the Government Accountability Project,a Washington, D.C.,watchdog group.

世界银行发言人说，该行已经采取了负责任的做法。他说，我们做了作为一个机构在对公司信誉保持高标准要求方面所需要做的。
A World Bank spokesman said it had acted responsibly. 'We took theaction we needed to take as an institution to maintain our highcorporate integrity standards,' the spokesman said.

当世行贷款被政府用来聘用承包商时，该行会公布被禁止参与未来项目的公司名单。禁令得到落实可能是个漫长的过程。萨蒂扬现在仍有资格竞标开发项目合约。
When World Bank loans are used by governments to hire contractors, theorganization publicly discloses any firms that it bans from futurework. Instituting the ban can be a long process. Satyam remainseligible to bid for development-project contracts.

不过对直接与世界银行签订的合约，比如为办公室提供技术等服务，世行并不总是公布有疑问的企业，即使是被怀疑有行贿行为的公司。世界银行官员称，这样能更容易、更快地排除不合格企业，不过它私下里承认这样一来就不能向公众公布了。
But for contracts directly with the World Bank -- to supply officeswith technology and other services, for instance -- it doesn'troutinely disclose firms it blackballs, even if it suspects those firmsof bribery. Bank officials say that makes it easier and quicker to cutoff firms, but acknowledge privately that it comes at the cost ofinforming the public.

就萨蒂扬的问题来说，世界银行一直在调查该公司与世行一位高级官员之间的关系，世行怀疑此人向萨蒂扬提供合约来换取股票期权。2006年，世界银行把此事通报了司法部。司法部的一位官员拒绝置评。

2007年底，世界银行完成了一项内部调查，发现萨蒂扬有违规操作。根据世界银行的规定，该公司当时有机会就自己为什么不该被禁进行辩护。

Bob Davis

In the case of Satyam, the World Bank had been looking into the relationship of the computer firm and a senior official at the bank, who it suspected of steering contracts to Satyam in exchange for stock options. In 2006, the World Bank referred them atter to the Justice Department. An official there wouldn't comment.

In late 2007, the Bank completed an internal investigation and found that Satyam had acted improperly. Under World Bank rules, the company then had the chance to argue why it shouldn't be banned.

Bob Davis