World Bank refers fewer cases for criminal investigation, no uptick in corruption during pandemic

The World Bank’s anti-corruption unit routinely refers findings to national authorities for criminal investigations, but often there is no response. Now, the Bank is shifting to a more strategic approach to case referrals. Anti-corruption mechanisms at the World Bank, developed over the past two decades, appear to have held up well during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Alan Bacarese, the Bank’s chief investigator.