WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Monetary Fund said Monday its board of directors has been briefed by attorneys from the law firm whose investigation found current IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and other officials pressured World Bank employees to alter data affecting the business rankings of China and other nations.
The IMF said the 190-nation lending agency’s board of directors met with representatives of the WilmerHale law firm as part of an on-going review of the issues raised by the firm’s investigation into the World Bank’s “Doing Business 2018” report.
The Doing Business report evaluated a country’s tax burdens, bureaucratic obstacles, regulatory system and other business conditions, and its rankings was used by some governments to try to attract investment.
The IMF said in a statement the board would soon meet with Georgieva as part of its review of the matter. The statement said the IMF’s board “remains committed to a thorough, objective and timely review” of the issues raised by the report.
The incident has led to calls for Georgieva to resign from the IMF’s top job.
Georgieva has denied all wrongdoing.