WASHINGTON - Harbert Corporation, Harbert International, Inc., Bill Harbert International Constructions Inc., Harbert Construction Services (U.K.) Ltd. and Bilhar International Establishment have agreed to pay the United States $47 million to settle claims that they submitted false claims, and caused others to submit false claims, to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Justice Department announced today.

WASHINGTON - Mark Adams, 43, a former deputy director at a private USAID contractor, and his wife, Latasha Bell, 36, have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that they stole more than $1 million from a program meant to address global health problems such as HIV/AIDS. Among other things, Adams and Bell are accused in the indictment of using the money to renovate their home and purchase two luxury cars worth over $110,000.

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Afghan Special Anti-Corruption Tribunal Court sentenced Din Mohammad Ramin, a former employee on a project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to three years in prison and a $10,000 fine for soliciting and receiving a kickback of approximately $5,000.

Ramin was arrested on December 18, 2011 and sentenced on March 27, 2012. The action came as part of an on-going campaign against fraud and waste in U.S. aid efforts in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON - Mark Adams, a former deputy director at a private contractor that did business with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and his wife, Latasha Bell, pled guilty today to federal conspiracy charges stemming from the embezzlement of more than $1 million from a program meant to address global health problems. Among other things, Adams and Bell admitted using the money to renovate their home and purchase a luxury car.

The United States has filed a complaint against Jacintoport International LLC under the False Claims Act in connection with a warehousing and logistics contract for the storage and redelivery of humanitarian food aid, the Justice Department announced today. Jacintoport is a cargo handling and stevedoring firm headquartered in Houston.

WASHINGTON – Everett Lipscomb Jr., 42, of Aliso Viejo, Calif., has been sentenced to 15 months in prison on a charge stemming from his role in a conspiracy to embezzle more than $386,000 from a federal program meant to address global health problems.

The sentence was announced by Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Michael G. Carroll, Deputy Inspector General for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Two former contractors on a recently completed U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) project in Afghanistan have been arrested on fraud charges. The action came as part of what U.S. Government officials described as an on-going campaign against fraud and waste in U.S. development efforts in Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General (USAID OIG) and La Fondation Héritage pour Haïti (LFHH), the Haitian chapter of Transparency International (TI), have begun operating an anti-corruption hotline in Haiti.

WASHINGTON, DC - Biwo Enspektè Jeneral nan Ajans Amerikèn pou Devlòpman Entènasyonal (USAID OIG) ak Fondasyon Eritaj pou Ayiti (LFHH), branch ki reprezante Transparancy International (TI) nan peyi Dayiti, anonse fonksyonnman yon liy telefòn dirèk pou lite kont koripsyon an Ayiti.

WASHINGTON, DC - Le Bureau de l'Inspecteur Général de l'Agence Américaine pour le Développement International (USAID OIG), et la Fondation Héritage pour Haïti (LFHH),  le chapitre haïtien de Transparency International (TI), ont lancé le fonctionnement d’un numéro d’appel direct pour lutter contre la corruption en Haiti.