Graft inquiry condemns World Bank

[eppur_se_muova]

Source: BBC

The World Bank has not taken corruption seriously enough and has resisted the efforts of anti-graft investigators, an official inquiry has found.

Paul Volcker, former head of the US Federal Reserve Bank, said his inquiry into the bank had revealed a "siege mentality" at the troubled institution.

He spoke of "ambivalence" in the way it viewed anti-corruption work.

Mr Volcker has assessed the World Bank in the wake of the forced resignation of its former president Paul Wolfowitz.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6992985.stm

[DCKit]

1. The World Bank corrupt???? What next, the IMF? Politics, in general? K&R

[AllyCat]

2. Anti-graft or anti-"grift" standards?

I'm sure with Wolfie, it's the latter. And I'm sure he wasn't there to make it better. Well, okay, better for US Corporations. I loved this bit:

Mr Wolfowitz maintained that his efforts to impose anti-graft standards were the real motive behind the successful campaign to oust him from the bank's top job.

Mr Wolfowitz resigned over questions about his role in winning a pay and promotion package for his girlfriend.

------

Sure, Wolfie. I'm sure this had everything to do with you wanting to stop corruption, given your situation with your girlfriend and all.

[gratuitous]

3. Well, see, it was a very deep and complicated strategy

Wolfowitz was just giving his girlfriend a job she wasn't qualified for at a salary she couldn't possibly earn to, uh, to see how graft and corruption work! Yeah, that's the ticket.

And, see, he was also trying to flush out the real corrupt persons by pretending to be one of them. Yeah, that'll work. So, see? He was working real hard to impose anti-graft standards; overtime, even. If only he hadn't been unfairly ousted, he'd have accomplished his goals. Oh, and can we talk about the overtime pay he's entitled to for all his hard work?