IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva criticised as 'false and spurious' the findings of an independent probe into allegations that as World Bank head she pressured staff to manipulate data to make China's business climate appear more favorable.
In a statement she plans to present to the executive board of the International Monetary Fund, Georgieva also accused the office of the World Bank's past president, Jim Kong Kim, of manipulation.
She said she intervened to block a proposal from a member of Kim's staff to include Hong Kong data in China's ranking in the World Bank's Doing Business 2018 report, which would have significantly improved its standing. Kim has not responded to requests for comment.
The World Bank last week released a report on the investigation by law firm WilmerHale. It found that senior bank leaders including Georgieva unduly pressured staff to alter data to improve China's ranking in the Doing Business report while the bank was seeking China's support for a capital increase. -- Reuters
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