Washington: The World Bank's board of member countries on Wednesday said it would give bank President Paul Wolfowitz more time to respond to findings of a panel that he broke rules in approving a promotion for his companion.
In a late night statement on Wednesday, the board said it would give him until Friday to respond to the findings, which Wolfowitz and his lawyer argued for under bank rules.
The board said it had communicated to Wolfowitz that he could then explain himself in person to them on Tuesday, May 15, when they would also reach a decision on his future at the World Bank.
The White House on Wednesday gave what has become an almost daily endorsement of Wolfowitz, appealing for more time for him to defend himself against a 600-page internal report by a bank panel that has found that his conduct violated rules and represented a conflict of interest.
The panel has given Wolfowitz until the close of business on Wednesday to respond to its findings. There are no rules for the dismissal of a World Bank chief because it has never happened.
The board has the authority to appoint and to fire the president, who is always named by the United States. "We're in the middle of a process right now where Paul Wolfowitz has been given the opportunity to respond to a recommendation," White House counselor Dan Bartlett said.
"Obviously we support Paul Wolfowitz and the agenda he's pursued at the bank," Bartlett said. "We are hopeful that he does get a fair hearing." US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson met with his European financial counterparts in April over their concerns about the bank's credibility with Wolfowitz at the helm.
All Paulson has said publicly is that Wolfowitz deserves "due process" from the bank's investigatory panel.
That position was repeated on Tuesday by Treasury spokesperson, Brookly McLaughlin, who said Wolfowitz should be given enough time to respond to allegations, which under bank rules means five days and could delay the Friday meeting of the board.
Other European countries including Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and France have voiced concern over the impact of the scandal on the World Bank's anti-poverty mission.
The US and European nations have the biggest stakes in the World Bank and are the institution's largest financial backers. Member countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa have not yet publicly stated their positions, although officials have privately indicated they are waiting for Wolfowitz's response.
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