EBRD head faces probe call over dossier on directors
LONDON: Several member states have called for the head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to be investigated over claims the lender inappropriately gathered personal information on some of its directors, according to a document seen by Reuters.
The May 29 complaint against EBRD president Suma Chakrabarti was made by several board members, who represent some of the bank’s 67 member governments, to its chief compliance officer at the end of May, four sources told Reuters. All four were directors at the EBRD at the time.
“The President and ExCom (executive committee) members would seem to have put a repeated practice in place which involves collecting sensitive and personal information on Board Members,” the complaint, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, said.
“We hereby request that you, as Chief Compliance Officer, initiate a procedure _ regarding alleged misconduct and alleged inappropriate behaviour by the President of EBRD,” the letter said. It was anonymously signed “a number of concerned board members and shareholders”.
The four sources said an external investigation had since been opened.
The letter of complaint said that on May 3-4 a number of board members anonymously received documents containing copies of email exchanges between the president and executive committee, as well as excerpts from other official bank reports, which contained personal information on board members compiled without their consent.