Posted on 05/15/2007 6:03:50 AM PDT by Kitten Festival
What actually happened in the summer of 2005 has now been mostly obscured under the lobbying and partisanship that has buffetted Paul Wolfowitz and his presidency of the World Bank in recent weeks. But yesterday's report by a panel of seven World Bank executives, the so-called "Ad Hoc Group", claimed to present a version of events that was based on "a strong and largely undisputed documentary record". Its conclusions were as follows:
He violated the code of conduct
The code of conduct for board officials at the World Bank requires members to "avoid any conflict of interest, real or apparent". At the time of his appointment to the World Bank in May 2005, Mr Wolfowitz informed the board that he had a pre-existing relationship with Shaha Ali Riza, one of the bank's Middle East experts.
He suggested "recusing myself from any influence over personnel decisions involving Ms Riza" but was told that his proposal did not go far enough. By later ordering Xavier Coll, the bank's Vice President of Human Resources, to accept Ms Riza's demands for a transfer to the US State Department, two promotions and a pay rise, the panel found that Mr Wolfowitz "engaged in de facto conflict of interest".
He broke the staff rules
Ms Riza's new contract, whose contents was directed by Mr Wolfowitz and not vetted by World Bank lawyers, broke staff rule 6.01 with its pay increases and guarantees of promotion.
He automatically ordered her promotion to staff level H, a move which Ms Riza claimed that she had been denied because she was Muslim and a woman, and raised her pay from $132,660 to $180,000. Under the rules, Ms Riza was eligible for a pay increase
(Excerpt) Read more at business.timesonline.co.uk ...
I guess that Wolfowitz could defend himself by claiming he was not as corrupt as he could have been. Maybe his replacement will show how corruption really works.
It is my view that he did almost everything right. According to other sources, he did not have anything to do with his girlfriend’s transfer or pay raise. The World Bank had concluded that she was due a pay raise before she was transferred. The only thing I can think that he did wrong was get involved with a Muslim in the first place.
Moral of the story?
Banging an employee never turns out well.
There is one other thing. There is some kind of “coup” attempt going on. Some people believe that the World Bank should be run by Europeans, not Americans. That along would put me on Wolfowitz’s side.
I am not understanding this “controversy”. He eliminated a “conflict of interest” by moving Ms Riza away from the World Bank. Isn’t this a good thing? So he gave her a pay raise and a promotion. Happens all the time in the business world. It’s called NEGOTIATION (in my best Joe Biden impression), one of the libs’ favorite words.
“along” should be “alone” Sorry!
Banging an employee never turns out well.He was already involved with her before he worked there, and he told them that. They picked him anyway.
-Eric
“He was already involved with her before he worked there, and he told them that. They picked him anyway. ‘
Uh huh, and tell me, how did it ‘turn out’?
Again, banging an employee never turns out well.
That’s a pretty small typo, I’ve made much worse!
I agree with you that it should be run by an American. But I think that there is no way it won’t be. There are two options to ensure it - one is that the US can yank its money if there is no american running it all - and that would be practically all of it. Two, it can demand that the IMF be run by an american and the europeans can see how they like that - there is a perfect quid pro quo going on with this europe stuff.
But I think wolfowitz is the wrong man for the job, I think he should be back in academia, writing papers, not doing executive work which he has no aptitude for. One thing I would like to point out about wolf’s management style is that the imf is run by a flamingly rightwing european, rodrigo rato of spain, who was aznar’s righthand man. He’s had no trouble from the staff because he does know how to manage and avoid even the appearance of corruption. I think wolf has made some mistakes as described by this article, and ought to exit to something better, imho. Bush should appoint him to the UN and the euros can then see how they like that.
This is more smog.
Wolfowitz followed the directions of the Ethics committee.
Now the same committee is trying to hang him for following their own directions.
It may be a very small typo, but I’m the one who is always correcting everyone on their grammer, so at least I could be correct in what I am writing. (Beating myself up)(Ouch!)
If he’s the leader, he needs to show leadership, not take orders. Why did he apologize if he was so in the right?
Wolfowitz’s attackers are just Europeans. It’s not a real affair - it’s just an European revenge because Wolfowitz is targetting corruption.
It’s a vendetta.
Yeah, listen to what the dissidents say.
IF anyone bothered to read Wolfowitz’s version of events, it would make things a LOT clearer.
The World Bank insiders never wanted him. Wolfowitz tried to be upfront on everything to begin with. Wolfowitz make the mistake of doing what the Ethics Panel told him to do at the beginning of this fiasco.
This is a pure political hatchet job.
What apology?
true, how true
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