Ex-Ireland President To Investigate Allegations Against AfDB's Akinwumi Adesina

Former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, has been appointed by the bureau of the board of governors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) to head the independent committee tasked to review the report of its ethics committee on allegations made against AfDB President, Akinwumi Adesina.

Members Of The Independent Committee

According to the AfDB's communique, the members of the committee aside from Robinson, include Hassan Jallow, who AllNews gathered is a former attorney-general and minister of justice of the Gambia, as well as a former justice of the supreme court of the Gambia. His experience includes being the prosecutor of the United Nations’ International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in 2003.

Meanwhile, Leonard McCarthy was also added to the independent committee. McCarthy previously acted as 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.

His career path also includes being the integrity vice president of the World Bank for nine years. McCarthy is presently the president of an integrity risk management company, LFMcCarthy Associates, Inc., which is located in Washington, USA.

It was gathered that the report of the independent committee will be made available to the Bureau of the board of governors of AfDB between two to four weeks. Recall AllNews had previously reported that the AfDB board of governors succumb to the demand of the U.S and its allies for an independent review of the allegations against Adesina.

President Muhammadu Buhari, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other African leaders voice out in support of Adesina, with Nigeria advising AfDB to ignore the demand of the U.S and its allies. AllNews had reported that the decision of the AfDB governor board to accept the US demand exposes economic slavery within the AfDB.

Allegations Against Adesina

The accusations range from using his position as AfDB President for private gain, being an impediment to efficiency, showing preferential treatment, bribery of ECOWAS members, involving in political activity, and making questionable appointments and departures; all allegations Adesina have denied.

After the conclusion of the probe, Adesina was absolved of any wrongdoings by the ethics committee of the largest African lender. However, due to the rejection of the probe by U.S. Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, AfDB decided to dent the image of its ethics committee by embracing the demand of the U.S and abandon its President to the faith of an outsider.