[OPE-L] Wolfowitz's world: easy easy money not so easy, chicks not for free

From: Jurriaan Bendien (adsl675281@TISCALI.NL)
Date: Fri Apr 13 2007 - 11:30:44 EDT


Wolfowitz Apologizes For 'Mistake'

At World Bank, Boos Over Pay for Girlfriend

By Karen DeYoung and Al Kamen

Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, April 13, 2007; Page A01

World Bank President Paul D. Wolfowitz publicly apologized yesterday for the
"mistake" of personally orchestrating a high-paying job and guaranteed
promotions for a bank employee with whom he is romantically involved, as new
details of his role in the arrangement emerged and staff members angrily
demanded his resignation.

Wolfowitz attempted to address about 200 staffers gathered in the bank's
central atrium but left after some began hissing, booing, and chanting
"Resign. . . . Resign." He had approached the gathering after holding a news
conference in which he said, "I made a mistake for which I am sorry." (...)

Cave asked that the board release all documents related to the issue, the
same step that Wolfowitz requested last night. Among the documents, Cave
said, is a 2005 memo from Wolfowitz to the vice president for human
resources detailing the terms of Riza's outside assignment, including
promotion upon her return to the bank from an upper-middle position to a
level equal to bank vice president, "depending on the length of her external
service." The agreement said the promotion would be subject to a performance
review by a "panel whose membership would be mutually agreed" by human
resources officials and Riza.

Staff writers Krissah Williams and Steven Mufson contributed to this report.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/12/AR2007041201188.html?hpid=topnews
http://www.whistleblower.org/doc/2007/BankStaffComments1.pdf
http://www.whistleblower.org/doc/2007/BankStaffComments2.pdf

GAP has verified all of the following information from multiple high-level
sources inside the Bank:

The Board report on the Wolfowitz-Riza scandal stating that, in being
detailed from the Bank to the U.S. State Department, Riza was promoted to a
"GH" level position "consistent with the practice of the Bank," rests on
incorrect information. The Board's conclusion (paragraph 2b) was based on a
belief that Riza qualified for a promotion and had been shortlisted in a
competition for the position of Middle East North Africa Communications
Adviser.

In fact, Riza was turned down twice for promotion to level GH by the
Communications Network Sector Board (Comnet), the appropriate authorizing
body. Comnet found that Riza lacked the professional qualifications
necessary for a GH level position as a Communications Adviser. She was
therefore not shortlisted for the position.

Nonetheless, on September 19, 2005, Riza was promoted non-competitively to
Principal Communications Officer as part of her External Assignment - a
decision supported by the President of the Bank. When transferred, she had
no professional qualification for a GH Level position in the Communications
area, which was why Comnet rejected her application for promotion twice. The
title she was given as GH Level, Principal Communications Officer, is held
by only one person in Comnet: Shaha Riza.
http://www.whistleblower.org/template/page.cfm?page_id=181


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