World Bank staff are protesting over reports that Paul Wolfowitz’s partner, Shaha Riza, a bank official, was given a promotion and pay increase to $193,000 when she was seconded to the US State Department.

In an e-mail circulated to all bank employees, the staff association on April 3 called on its management and board to explain “what appear to be violations of staff rules in favour of a staff member closely associated with the president”.