The Bureau of the Boards of Governors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has constituted a three man panel to review the earlier findings by its committee over allegations of corrupt practices leveled against its President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.
The Chairperson of the Bureau of the Boards of Governors of the AfDB Group, Ms. Niale Kaba and Governor for Côte d’Ivoire yesterday announced the setting up of the committee.
It would be recalled that the Ethics Committee of the Bank had previously investigated allegations leveled against the president by some whistleblowers over issues bordering on abuse of office and exonerated him on the charges.
However, the United States questioned the integrity of the report and demanded a fresh probe from an independent investigator. But the Board of the bank refused to yield to the US demand. Rather it opted for an independent review of the Ethics Committee’s report.
The communiqué issued at the end of the Bureau’s meeting stated that the Board agreed on the terms of reference for the independent review at its meetings of 18 June 2020 and 1st July 2020 to constitute a review panel in line with its earlier promise.
Consequently, three persons namely, Mrs. Mary Robinson, Mr. Hassan B. Jallow and Mr. Leonard F. McCarthy, were selected to constitute a high-level panel of independent experts to conduct the said review. The panel will be chaired by Mrs. Robinson.
Mrs. Mary Robinson is a Barrister by profession and is a former President of the Republic of Ireland while Justice Hassan B. Jallow is a former Attorney General of the Republic of the Gambia as well as a former Justice of the country’s Supreme Court. Leonard F. McCarthy is a former Director of Public Prosecutions, a former Director for the Office of Serious Economic Offences, and a former Head of the Directorate of Special Operations of South Africa.
The panel is expected to submit its report to the Bureau within a period of two to four weeks maximum.
