The amount is equivalent to about six percent of the agency's budget.

"The embezzlement of some 3.5 million dollars from WMO ... was for the purpose of influencing the outcome of election of the position of the WMO Secretary-General during the Congress in May 2003," she told a press conference.

Veiga said she would welcome the opportunity to address the current WMO congress directly.

At a subsequent press briefing, WMO chairman Alexander Bedritsky said he was ready to meet Veiga.

The organisation's current secretary general, Michel Jarraud of France, ruled out however her addressing the congress directly.

Jarraud denies any wrongdoing or connection with the affair, adding he was not a candidate for secretary general at the time in question.

On Sunday it emerged that the regional prosecutor in Geneva, Daniel Zappelli, had opened another investigation into possible use of the embezzled funds to pay for travel by developing nation representatives and influence voting.

Swiss secretary of state Michael Ambuehl told the opening session of the WMO congress on Monday that reform was urgently needed to restore the organisation's credibility.

"The embezzlement case uncovered a few weeks after the previous congress has caused serious damage. "To tackle natural catastrophes linked to global warming, we need a strong WMO that is entirely focused on its basic mission," he said.

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