International publishing business Macmillan Publishers Ltd UK (‘Macmillan’) has confirmed that it has voluntarily referred to the Serious Fraud Office its concerns over historic payments made by a subsidiary of its education business, Macmillan Education, to secure a contract in Southern Sudan. The move comes after the company reached a civil settlement agreement with the World Bank over allegations that improper and unauthorised payments were made to public officials in Southern Sudan in an unsuccessful bid to secure a contract funded by the World Bank.
The company, with expert support, has conducted a review of Macmillan Education’s practices and procedures. It has begun implementation of a revised ethical framework, including comprehensive risk assessment and training of all relevant staff. The moves are designed to prevent any recurrence of potentially unlawful behaviour. A new, board-level, Risk & Compliance Committee is also being set up.
Macmillan’s education division, Macmillan Education, is a leading publisher of English Language teaching and school curriculum materials, with over 150 years of publishing experience. Macmillan Education works with teachers, students, institutions, educational authorities and Ministries of Education to develop high quality course books and supplementary materials to suit the needs of teachers and students of all levels.
