The United States government has demanded that a fresh and in-depth investigation be conducted into the allegations leveled against the AfDB president, Akinwumi Adesina using an independent investigator.
This is coming despite being cleared of all allegations of impropriety and fraud by the ethics committee of the bank.
The ethics committee of the continental bank headed by Takuji Yano, had on May 5 said in its report that Adesina was not guilty on all counts.
Yano is a Japanese executive director charged with the responsibility of investigating allegations by some concerned employees against the official.
The committee described the allegations that Akinwumi Adesola violated the code of conduct of the institution as “spurious and unfounded”.
The United States government in a letter dated May 22, 2020 to Ms Kaba, the U.S. government, through the Secretary, Department of Treasury in Washington, D.C. expressed “deep reservations about the integrity of the committee’s process” and called for a fresh “in-depth investigation of the allegations.”
“The United States cannot support dismissing the allegations at this stage. We believe the Board of Governors must demonstrate that this institution takes governance, anti-corruption, and transparency seriously. We thus request that you take steps to initiate an impartial, independent investigation into these allegations. Whatever the outcome, the AfDB will emerge stronger for having taken seriously its obligations to uphold good governance,” U.S said in a statement.
The allegations leveled against Adesina by the concerned staff include 20 breaches of the bank’s code of conduct, including “unethical conduct, private gain, an impediment to efficiency, preferential treatment, and involvement in political activities.”
The group, noted that their allegations were in line with AfDB’s whistle-blowing policy, said these activities adversely affected the confidence and integrity of the bank.