Embattled U.N. Weather Chief Re-Elected

French Michel Jarraud, Secretary General of World Meterorological Organization (WMO), answers journalists questions about his reelection by acclamation as Secretary-General of the WMO for a period of four years starting in January 2008, during a press conference at the International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG) in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday, May 16, 2007. (AP Photo/Keystone, Martial Trezzini) (Martial Trezzini - AP)

GENEVA -- The embattled chief of the U.N. weather agency was re-elected Wednesday and immediately pledged to deal with natural disasters, climate change and other issues now that he has imposed major reforms following an embezzlement scandal.

The 188-nation governing congress of the World Meteorological Organization agreed by acclamation to give Michel Jarraud, who ran unopposed, a second four-year term.

"I'm very encouraged and very pleased by the strong support of the member states," Jarraud told The Associated Press. "Obviously, the challenges are there _ natural disasters, climate, water _ and I'm even more determined now to address them."

A top goal is improving global forecasting and warning systems to help minimize disasters, he said.

Jarraud's fortunes appear to have turned only four months after a confidential internal audit surfaced suggesting that some of the $3.5 million stolen by a former employee was used to influence votes in the 2003 election he won for a first term.

The 53-year-old French meteorologist, who was the agency's No. 2 at the time, maintains he was uninvolved in any wrongdoing, but concedes that the controls were lax.

"They've come a long way," said retired Brig. Gen. J.J. Kelly, the top U.S. representative to WMO and head of the agency's new watchdog Audit Committee. He praised Jarraud for steps taken since 2004 to avoid fraud, including new audit procedures.

Swiss investigators have recovered $300,000 of the missing money and returned it to the agency, Jarraud said.

But the agency is not in the clear.

Earlier this month, the Swiss investigation was widened to include allegations of vote-buying, Geneva General Prosecutor Daniel Zappelli said. He added that WMO's cooperation had been good so far.

A former agency auditor whose internal audit concluded much of the money was used to influence votes of about 50 delegations during the agency's May 2003 election, has sued Jarraud and the WMO after she was fired in 2006.

Maria Veiga of Portugal, who says her firing was direct retaliation for her investigation, also has challenged her dismissal through the U.N.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Government Accountability Office is considering a request from members of Congress to investigate, Kelly said.

Jarraud said WMO has agreed to waive his diplomatic immunity and that of about 10 officials sought for questioning. "We're really committed to cooperate," he said.

Jarraud said that after Swiss authorities took over the case in 2003, they issued an arrest warrant for Muhammad Hassan of Sudan, then-chief of the fellowship program in WMO's training department. Authorities said he left Switzerland after the discovery that the money was missing and that his whereabouts remain unknown.

Jarraud said the money was taken in "many ways," including the use of forged documents. He said the changes he has made would prevent such fraud.

"If he was here now, even the same crook, he couldn't do it," he said.

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Associated Press writers Eliane Engeler and Frank Jordans contributed to this report.