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British company who refused to pay bribes named
posted on: Nov 26 2011 8:40 by The Reporter. Viewed 323 times.
Although the British Ambassador Steven Fisher has not yet mentioned the company by name, previous court documents seem to suggest that the Biwater International Ltd.
is the British company who allegedly withdrew from the country after refusing to pay bribes.
Biwater International left the Dominican Republic in October 2010 after having built aqueducts in various parts of the country, including San Francisco de Macoris, La Romana and San Cristóbal.
However, documents that have been obtained by the media show that Biwater was faced with conflicts that were examined in the courts according to records from years 2002 to 2010, including one from the Supreme Court that forced Biwater to repay debts to Dominican contractors.
After these disputes, in 2010, Biwater left the country claiming that the Dominican Government refused to pay about US$ 5 million in respect of completed works, and for lack of legal security.
Through a statement issued by the Commercial and Civil Chamber of the National District Court, Biwater International LTD was ordered to pay the sum of US$ 9,313,833.72 in favor of plaintiff contractor Fulgencio Marcelo Abreu.
"Biwater International LTD, Biwater Dominicana, S.A., and the Consortium Biwater - Civilcad (now Biwater-Sinercon), is ordered to pay the sum of nine million three hundred thirteen thousand eight hundred thirty-three United States dollars and 72 cents, in favor of the plaintiff, Fulgencio Marcelo Abreu", expresses the judgment issued on March 30, 2007.
Subsequently, on 30 May 2008 the Commercial and Civil Chamber of the National District Court of Appeal rejected an appeal brought by Biwater International, and ratified the original sentence. Then, on June 9, 2010 the Supreme Court of Justice ultimately ratified the ruling forcing the international company to pay the US$ 9,313,833.72.
Company
Biwater International works on large construction projects in more than 50 countries worldwide, and had completed works in the Dominican Republic estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars, through tenders set by the National Institute of Potable Water and Sewerage Systems (INAPA).
The statements and the reactions
Recently the British Ambassador, Steven Fisher, said that in the Dominican Republic there is no legal security for foreign investment, and that several British companies had left the country after extortion on the part of government officials.
Fisher did not reveal the names of the companies, or the Dominican officials who would have been behind the charging of bribes. Marino Vinicio Castillo, President of the National Commission on ethics and combating corruption, then attacked Fisher, stating that the British Ambassador should not publicly generalize, but should complain through the appropriate channels.
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