European nations blast Wolfowitz

Washington: 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 from 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.

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.

The White House on Friday came to Wolfowitz's defense, saying President George W. Bush had full confidence in him.

Speaking in Washington, African ministers said Wolfowitz had played a key role in promoting development in Africa.