NEW YORK- US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Tuesday that Dominique Strauss-Kahn "is obviously not in a position to run" the International Monetary Fund after his recent scandal.

When speaking at the Harvard Club in New York, Geithner said the IMF should establish a plan to fill its leadership vacuum on an interim basis

Geithner said, "I can't comment on the case, but he is obviously not in a position to run the IMF, and it is important that the board of the IMF formally put in place for an interim period someone to act as managing director."

Geithner also suggested the IMF appointing John Lipsky, who is currently serving as acting managing director in Strauss-Kahn's absence, to lead the agency, saying Lipsky is a very capable and experienced person.

Geithner was the first top official from Obama administration to publicly comment on the case after Strauss-Kahn was accused of sexually attacking a 32-year-old maid at a New York hotel.