IMF board to grill MD on data-rigging claims this week

Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva. [Reuters]

The International Monetary Fund’s executive board will intensify its probe of Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva this week by separately interviewing her and investigators who said she pressured World Bank staff to alter data to favour China, people with knowledge of the meetings said.

The board will question lawyers from the WilmerHale firm on Monday about their World Bank investigation report, three people familiar with the plans said. The report alleged that Georgieva, as the bank’s CEO in 2017, applied undue pressure on staff to alter data in the flagship “Doing Business” report to benefit China.