Bank Ethics Committee chair spells it out. Leading Dutch financial paper Der Handelsblatt carries comments (Dutch) from Ad Melkert, chair of the Bank's Ethics Committee when the Riza pay rise was agreed. Melkert strongly denies that the Commission oversaw the Riza deal.

"As former chairman of the Commission I reject all direct allegation or suggestion that the Commission was in the know, or should have been in the know, about the terms and conditions of the contract of Mrs Riza for her transfer outside the World Bank."

Melkert claims he only gave Wolfowitz some advice, but did not instruct him to act in any particular way. It was anyway not the brief of the Ethical Commission to adjudicate on compensation levels, and he says Wolfowitz had decided to instruct the personnel department himself, as well as dictating conditions.

[Thanks to JB for the spot, and translation.]

COMMENT, 19 April, 03.10 EST
This article includes a more extensive explanation
from Ad Melkert (sp?) explaining what the role of the
Ethics committee is and isn't, and basically putting
all the responsibility for doing the appropriate thing
on Mr. Wolfowitz. (Note: the first few paragraphs is
on other United Nations stuff--if that doesn't
interest you, then just keep scrolling down until you
get to the part on Ad Melkert):

Alex Wilks ~ April 18, 2007

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