World Bank 'shouldn't penalise poor for corruption of leaders'

Fighting corruption is an essential part of overcoming poverty, World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz said today, but he acknowledged that donors should not penalise poor people for the abuses of their leaders by withholding aid.

“We cannot abandon the poor because their governments or institutions are weak,” he said in comments to the World Bank’s policy-planning committee. “That would mean they would be penalised twice,” he said.