I’ve been victimised, claims girlfriend in Wolfowitz scandal

THE woman at the heart of the controversy that has embroiled World Bank president, Paul Wolfowitz, says she is a victim and was forced into a job transfer owing to their relationship.

Shaha Riza said that at no time did she report directly to Mr Wolfowitz and that he had proposed to recuse himself from any decisions involving her to avoid a potential conflict of interest.

Mr Wolfowitz is fighting for his political life after World Bank directors said they had not approved large pay raises for his girlfriend, Ms Riza.

She said the ethics committee of the World Bank’s board had required her “to go on external assignment contrary to my wishes”.

Ms Riza was detailed to a high-paying job at the State Department in September 2005.

“I have now been victimised for agreeing to an arrangement that I have objected to and that I did not believe from the outset was in my best interest,” she said.

Her comments were made in a memo to an ad hoc committee of the World Bank looking into the circumstances surrounding her transfer. The memo was part of a set of documents released by the bank yesterday.

Mr Wolfowitz has said he made a mistake and has apologised for his role in Ms Riza’s promotion. The White House expressed fresh support for Mr Wolfowitz yesterday.

However, some of the bank’s staff have called for him to resign.

The World Bank’s board has been looking into the matter, which has overshadowed this weekend’s meetings of the 185-nation World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

A bank official said the board was not meeting on the Wolfowitz matter yesterday but was focusing on the meetings.

Before her transfer to the state department, Ms Riza worked as a communications adviser in the bank’s Middle East department. She said she did not wish to be put on detail away from the bank and did not expect “special considerations”.

She also lamented the “vicious public attacks” she said she had received over the matter.

The episode had affected her “professionally, physically and psychologically.”

Meanwhile, US President George W Bush said he continued to support Mr Wolfowitz, according to the White House.

Mr Wolfowitz yesterday apologised over the affair. “I made a mistake, for which I am sorry. I will accept any remedies proposed by the bank’s board.”