I'm keen to root out any hint of sleaze: OECD chief

PARIS (Reuters) - The head of the OECD, responding to an article flagging concerns about spending and hiring at the think tank, issued a statement on Friday stressing his commitment to root out any hint of corruption there.

At a time when World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz is embroiled in a controversy over the promotion of his girlfriend, the Economist weekly said there was also concern about governance issues at the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

These included an expensive refurbishment of the OECD chief Angel Gurria's apartment, appointments of some senior OECD officials, the offer of a job to Gurria's daughter, Gurria's pay deal, and his request for tickets for his family to a France-Mexico football match to which a businessman invited him.

Gurria, a former Mexican finance minister, said he had sought to ensure the OECD's management and hiring practices at the organisation since his appointment followed best practice.

"As Secretary General of the OECD since June 2006, I have spoken out vigorously in favor of international efforts to fight the scourge of corruption in the global economy. I am equally determined to root out any hint of favoritism or corruption within the OECD Secretariat," his statement said.

"In recent months, a number of significant cases have been exposed to the public gaze and discussed by the OECD's Working Group on Bribery. It is no surprise that this attack occurs at this time."

The OECD's anti-bribery commission recently issued a report expressing concern about a British decision last year to drop a corruption probe into a defense deal with Saudi Arabia and is continuing its review of British efforts to fight bribery.

Gurria said the work on the apartment assigned to OECD chiefs was long overdue and scheduled before his appointment.

He also said his pay was in line with packages offered to that of senior executives in other international organizations and that officials had been appointed to OECD jobs for which they were qualified and at the appropriate level of seniority.

Gurria said his daughter was briefly employed in the OECD's Education Directorate but that he had asked her to step down following advice he had received and in order to avoid controversy. He also addressed the Economist's example of the corporate hospitality extended to his family in 2006.

"I have no regrets about accepting this invitation other than the fact that Mexico lost 1-0 to France," he said.