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IMF chief Georgieva’s lawyer claims data probe violated World Bank staff rules By Reuters

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© Reuters. FILE PHOTO – Kristalina Georgieva (IMF) is the Managing Director of International Monetary Fund at a joint press conference held after the Summit for the Financing Africa Economies, Paris, France. Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS/File P

Andrea Shalal, David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters). World Bank Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva was questioned by lawyers who failed to disclose to her the existence of the probe, and refused to allow Georgieva to reply to the findings.

In a letter to the International Monetary Fund Executive Board released on Thursday, Covington & Burling attorney Lanny Breuer asked directors to consider “fundamental procedural and substantive errors” with the investigation report by WilmerHale, a law firm hired by the World Bank’s board to investigate data irregularities in the lender’s flagship “Doing Business” rankings of country business climates.

WilmerHale’s report claimed that Georgieva, World Bank CEO 2017, used “undue influence” to force data changes on World Bank staff that increased China’s rank at a moment when it was trying to get Beijing’s backing for major capital increases. Georgieva denied these allegations.

Georgieva is trying to convince the IMF board of her support with new claims by Breuer, an ex-official U.S. Justice Department and former special counsel for former President Bill Clinton in his 1999 impeachment trials.

Both Georgieva & WilmerHale were interviewed by the board this week. They will continue to deliberate on the issue on Friday.

Georgieva said Wednesday that the allegations she made about her staff forcing them to change inappropriate data settings were “outrageous” and false. She also claimed WilmerHale had taken some of her statements out of context. The lengthy statement she gave to the board was made public on Thursday.

Breuer, Breuer wrote Breuer that Georgieva had never been informed she was a subject to investigation.

It covers all procedures of the World Bank Office of Ethics and Business Conduct.

According to WilmerHale’s report, the investigation began with board members under the Code of Conduct for Officials. This is a separate set of rules from the one Breuer refers to. The probe was conducted “as per applicable staff rules” and directives.

A spokesperson for the firm didn’t immediately reply to Reuters’s query.

In an email statement, the World Bank General Counsel’s Office stated that “The investigation into Doing Business 2018 & 2020 reports was done in complete compliance with World Bank regulations.”

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