Paul Wolfowitz, World Bank president, on Thursday made a last-ditch attempt to avert a hostile finding by the panel investigating his role in arranging a generous secondment package for a colleague with whom he was romantically involved.
In a letter to the panel, Mr Wolfowitz said he was “deeply troubled and dismayed” by testimony by the bank’s former legal counsel and ethics committee chair.
The two former officials told the panel the bank president went far beyond the advice of the ethics committee in awarding his partner, Shaha Riza, pay rises and other benefits.
Mr Wolfowitz said: “I vehemently deny that I went beyond what I understood to be the guidance I received from the committee.”
However, Mr Wolfowitz backed away from earlier claims that the ethics committee was aware of the terms and conditions offered to Ms Riza.
He lied about it then, that's why he backed down now.
