AfDB President’s accusers call for independent investigation

After President of the African Development Bank Akinwumi Adesina has been cleared in an internal investigation of accusations of prevarication and favoritism, his accusers are now attacking the Ethics Committee that conducted the investigation. They doubt its probity and are calling for an independent investigation.

The whistleblowers at the African Development Bank (AfDB) have not been convinced by the internal investigation.

The institution’s Ethics Committee, which conducted the investigation, revealed Monday, May 11, it exonerates President Akinwumi Adesina of accusations of favoritism and prevarication launched for months by a group of anonymous employees.

Grievances are “unfounded, unsubstantiated and unsupported” according to the Ethics Committee.

The whistleblowers are challenging the Board’s work as “flawed and manipulated.” They argue that this internal body has not really sought to investigate. They are now calling for an independent investigation.

This case has been poisoning the atmosphere at the AfDB for months.

The group of anonymous employees claims that Adesina has appointed, promoted or even rewarded people suspected or known to be involved in fraud and corruption, and that he has also favored his Nigerian compatriots for the positions to be filled. A month ago, Adesina denounced political motivations behind the accusations, without further details.

Adesina is a candidate for his own succession at the head of the AfDB next August.