It’s been six days now since the World Bank’s Yerevan office promised to get back to me regarding allegations of corruption made by a British national, Bruce Tasker, which I blogged about last week. Still, receiving no response despite assurances to the contrary is also rather telling. Hopefully, this post as well as a reminder email sent earlier today will see a response forthcoming in the next dew days.

Meanwhile, after I picked up Hetq Online heavily and constantly accessing my post on this story following its publication on this blog through my access statistics, the online publication has finally published an article in the Armenian section of this week’s edition. According to Tasker, they initially said they would look into the matter before the 12 May parliamentary election, but for some unknown reason did not.

Nevertheless, now that two blogs — Tasker’s and my own — have covered the story, it would appear that they decided to publish this week. It is interesting that it looks as though Hetq Online used blogs as their main source and that despite given the opportunity to do so earlier, they only covered the story once it was first brought to light in the blogosphere. The original post linking to and quoting from Tasker’s source posts is here.

Once again, it’s important to note that Tasker’s blog, Blowing the World Bank Whistle, detailing his charges against the World Bank and Yerevan’s Water Utility service has set an important precedent not only for bloggers, but particularly for the role blogs can play in anti-corruption initiatives and the need for transparency and accountability in all areas of life in Armenia — including international organizations.

Talking of which, I’ve just noticed that Tasker has made another entry on the blog which provides us with an insight into how many international organizations are actually run here. Sometimes the arrogance and draconian style of management can be astounding with many international organizations usually contradicting their own stated goals and intentions.

Armed with some basic information I was finally allowed into the Bank’s country office to meet with their Portfolio Manager. It was during that meeting I first met the World Bank Armenia Country Manager. He stormed in to the room and lectured me about how I should not contact the Bank office in Washington; how I should not bother his staff at the local Bank office; and how I should apply only to the Project Management Unit for the information needed for our Parliamentary Commission study.

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Needless to say, the reason for his aggressiveness was later understood; not only was the project found to be riddled with corruption it featured in a wider agenda of corruption. […]

Responding to Mr. Wolfowitz’s call to Report Fraud and Corruption in Bank Financed Operations turned out to be not the most pleasant of experiences. This ‘Individual’ has since been involved in a string of attempts to limit the effects of Retributions by the World Bank.

My latest attempt is with the support of Washington’s Government Accountability Project, who on March 29th this year submitted a ‘Demand Letter’ on my behalf to the Director of the Department of Institutional Integrity. The British Embassy in Armenia has been informed of the proceedings since the time of the Parliamentary study, and on 29th May this year the British Ambassador in Armenia added his support to the claim with a letter to the Director of the Department of Institutional Integrity.

More than four months after submission of the Government Accountability Project Demand Letter, with no response from the Department of Institutional Integrity, through this Blog I have decided to make this information available to the public.

The Blog will develop to provide a detailed report on the process from beginning to end, hoping that the Department of Institutional Integrity may at some time be ready to demonstrate how effectively it responds to claims of Fraud and Corruption in Bank Financed Operations by carrying out a full investigation into the matter. And maybe the Bank will be ready to take the actions needed to improve the quality of World Bank projects in Armenia […].

Blowing the World Bank Whistle is here.