FC: World Bank accused of spending poverty cash on $100M+ web site

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Thu Jul 19 2001 - 19:39:23 PDT

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    [Thanks to Jeffrey St. Clair of counterpunch.org fame for sending this 
    along. --Declan]
    
    
    http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=3235
    
    World Bank Accused of Fraud in Internet Scheme
    By Abid Aslam
    
    WASHINGTON, Jul 18 (IPS) - The World Bank has misused funds
    and is seeking to mislead public opinion through its
    'Development Gateway' Internet initiative, according to
    charges submitted Wednesday to the lending agency's fraud
    unit.
    
    The complaint alleges "misuse of Bank funds and positions,
    gross waste of Bank funds, cost mischarging or defective
    pricing and perhaps even fraud and misleading of public
    opinion."
    
    [...]
    
    At issue is a Bank effort to build the Internet's premier
    portal on poverty and sustainable development. The
    Development Gateway has been in the making for nearly two
    years, at a reported cost of some seven million dollars.
    Officials say the site will grow to encompass more than 130
    topics and serve as the leading entry point on the World
    Wide Web for people interested in development issues.
    
    [...]
    
    By contrast, they say, the Development Gateway's business
    plan projects more than one hundred million dollars in
    spending over the next five years, in hopes of attracting
    only five times the Uruguayan site's number of visits.
    
    [...]
    
    
    
    
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