World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz will today defend his handling of a promotion and pay increase for his girlfriend in front of a special panel.
Mr Wolfowitz and his girlfriend, Shaha Riza, will make a full presentation to the panel, made up of representatives of the bank's board of member countries, at separate appearances.
World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz
They will outline events that saw Ms Riza promoted with a salary increase and moved to an outside job at the State Department.
The former number two Pentagon official and one of the main planners of the Iraq war, Mr Wolfowitz has already apologised for the way he handled the promotion.
It has prompted calls by staff and some member countries for him to step down to save the credibility of the poverty-fighting institution.
But last week Mr Wolfowitz complained he was being treated "shabbily and unfairly without regard to appropriate process" when the panel turned down a request by his lawyer to represent his client's case.
Ms Ms Riza said in a letter to the board earlier this month she has been "victimised" by the controversy over her promotion and a related transfer to the State Department, which she said was forced to take because of her relationship with Mr Wolfowitz.
Sources said the panel would focus on whether Mr Wolfowitz worsened potential conflict of interest issues when he "pressured" a bank vice president into giving Ms Riza the promotion and pay raise.