Adesina: AfDB Group Bureau Boards Of Governors Responds To Whistle-Blowers’ Complaint
…Okays Terms Of Reference On Independent Panel
By Angeline Ngbele, Correspondent Abuja
The Bureau of the Boards of Governors of the African Development Bank (AfDB)Group rose from its meeting with a decision firming up the terms of reference to the Independent Panel earlier constituted to review the report of its Ethics Committee on the Whistle Blowers’ complaints against the President of the Group, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina. The Bureau’s decision is contained in a Communique issued shortly after its meeting.
The Bureau recalls its Communiqué issued on June 4, 2020 informing the general public of its decision to authorize an Independent Review of the Report of the Ethics Committee of the Boards of Directors relative to the allegations made by Whistle blowers against the President of the Bank Group.
The Communique was authored July 1, 2020 by : Chairperson of the Bureau of the Boards of Governors of the African Development Bank Group, Niale Kaba, Governor for Côte d’Ivoire, First Vice Chairperson of the Bureau of the Boards of Governors of the African Development Bank Group, Christian Asinelli, Alternate Governor for Argentina, Second Vice Chairperson of the Bureau of Boards of Governors of the African Development Bank Group and Temporary Governor for Namibia, Penda Ithindi,
The Bureau agreed on the Terms of Reference for the Independent Review at its meetings of June 18, 2020 and July 2, 2020 and selected three persons namely, Mary Robinson, Hassan B. Jallow and Leonard F. McCarthy to constitute a High-Level Panel of Independent Experts to conduct the said Review – individuals with unquestionable experience, high international reputation and professional integrity. The panel will be chaired by Mrs. Robinson.
Mary Robinson is a Barrister by profession and is a former President of the Republic of Ireland. She was also the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. She, among other numerous global and national responsibilities, is the Chairperson of the Elders, a global body of wise persons concerned about the wellbeing of the world.
Justice Hassan B. Jallow is a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Republic of the Gambia as well as a former Justice of the Supreme Court of the Gambia. In 2003 he was appointed as a Judge of the Appeals Chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone and later that year as the Prosecutor of the United Nations’ International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). On 5 February 2017, Justice Jallow was sworn-in as the Chief Justice of the Gambia.
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. He served as the Integrity Vice President of the World Bank for nine years. McCarthy is currently the
President of LF McCarthy Associates, Inc., an integrity risk management company based in Washington, D.C, USA.
The panel is expected to submit its report to the Bureau within a period of two to four weeks maximum.
The Bureau expresses its utmost trust and confidence in the Panel’s ability to successfully carry out this important assignment and reaffirms its commitment to fully assisting the Panel in the process.
