The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) on July 7 released an extensive report of an internal review into allegations made by former Director General of Communications Bob Pickard, a Canadian national, calling the allegations “unsubstantiated and incorrect.”
Global Times writes: “The report shows once again that some in the West, with the help of their media and even politicians, seek to smear China and everything related to the country with baseless claims, experts said, adding that such slanders will not derail the multilateral bank’s and China’s development.” The article adds that Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland (notably, an overt Ukrainian Nazi sympathizer) said that “the Canadian government will immediately halt all government-led activity at the bank, and she has instructed the Department of Finance to lead an immediate review of the allegations raised and of Canada’s involvement in the AIIB, according to an official statement.”
The AIIB 36-page report concluded that the bank “follows the highest standards of multilateral governance, that its governance is functioning as intended, and that there was no evidence of undue influence on decisions taken by the board of directors or management,” according to the Global Times coverage. Pickard had claimed that the AIIB is “dominated” by the Communist Party of China (CPC). The AIIB rebuttal notes that Pickard’s complaint provided “no evidence” to substantiate his claims, and that there were no other such claims against the bank.
“The internal review found no evidence to support or validate the former Director General of Communications’ allegations,” said the bank’s general counsel Alberto Ninio [a Brazilian] in a press release. “The internal review confirms that AIIB’s governance structure functions as intended to deliver an apolitical, constructive, balanced and consensus-oriented decision culture,” Ninio said.
Global Times also reported: “The AIIB report noted that Pickard resigned on June 12, 2023 and left China later on June 14. He cited safety concerns as reasons for abruptly leaving China despite his having bank immunity during his tenure with the AIIB. The review did not find or receive evidence of a safety risk posed to Pickard nor did it find any evidence that he had requested the AIIB’s assistance to ensure his safety during his employment with the bank.”
