Boston Globe Reports on Internal Investigation of Global Fund Practices

The Boston Globe on Monday reported on an internal inspector general investigation into the business expense practices of the executive director of the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. According to the Globe's description of the investigation, which was completed in August 2006, Global Fund Executive Director Richard Feachem has "made extensive use of a little-known private bank account, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on limousines, expensive meals, boat cruises and other expenses." According to the Globe, a separate investigation by the World Health Organization also "raised concerns" over use of the account. Global Fund spokesperson Jon Liden said, "These expenses are reasonable and necessary for carrying out the business of the Global Fund," adding that the report is of "extraordinarily poor quality in terms of accuracy, context and fairness. We have nothing to hide." (Donnelly, Boston Globe, 2/5) The Global Fund in a release on Monday provided comments and clarifications on a "number of untrue or misleading statements" made in the Globe article (Global Fund release, 2/5).

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