European nations pile pressure on Wolfowitz

By Lesley Wroughton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - European countries on Saturday piled pressure on World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz over a scandal involving a promotion for his girlfriend, with Britain saying it had damaged the bank and Germany questioning whether he still had the credibility to lead the institution.

But African ministers came out in support of him, with Liberia calling him a "visionary" and Mauritius saying he had done a good job.

The scandal has overshadowed the meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, one of the few occasions where rich and developing nations can discuss common issues.

Wolfowitz has apologized for his handling of the high-paying promotion of his girlfriend, Shaha Riza, who was assigned for the bank to the State Department to avoid any possible conflict of interest.

"While this whole business has damaged the bank and should not have happened, we should respect the board's process," British development minister Hilary Benn said in a statement.

"I am sure these views will be shared by other governors who will also be considering their responses."

German development minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul said it was important Wolfowitz's actions did not compromise the moral authority of the institution, which spends around $25 billion annually to fight poverty in poor countries.

"He himself has to decide whether he still has the credibility to represent the position of the World Bank," she told Reuters.