IMF chief gets to keep her job despite data scandal

THE boss of the International Monetary Fund has clung onto her job despite claims of corruption.

Kristalina Georgieva, who was appointed managing director of the IMF in 2019, allegedly manipulated data in her former role as boss of the World Bank to make China look like a more appealing place to do business. It came at a crucial time when the World Bank was trying to negotiate a funding package from Beijing.

Georgieva denied the allegations, and after eight meetings over the past several weeks, the IMF’s 24-strong executive board said she had its ‘full confidence’.

The board said: ‘Having looked at all the evidence presented, the executive board reaffirms its full confidence in the managing director’s leadership and ability to continue to effectively carry out her duties.’

The affair has opened up a rift between key members of the IMF. While the US was keen to investigate Georgieva further, European players including France threw their weight behind the Bulgarian economist.

The probe into her conduct was an embarrassment for the IMF as it prepared to kick off its annual meetings yesterday.