The World Bank’s executive board on Friday ratcheted up the pressure on Paul Wolfowitz to step down as president by simultaneously promising swift action on the Shaha Riza controversy and broadening the scope of its investigations to include other issues as well.

The board, which is made up of directors representing shareholder governments including the US, instructed a subcommittee of seven directors to “consider immediately arrangements made for the secondment of the staff member closely associated with the president”.