ICP
Exposed GSP
Funding of UN
Slavery
Memorial, Now
Banned From
Covering
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, March
24 -- The UN's
expanding
corruption
scandals
clouded even
the
International
Day for the
Abolition of
Slavery, given
that indictee
(now bribery
guilty-plea)
Sheri Yan's
Global
Sustainability
Foundation paid
at least
$60,000
for the UN's
slavery
memorial.
So now
that DPI- and
UNCA-funder
South South
News' Frank
Lorenzo has
pleaded guilty
to bribery
charges, and
Vivian Wang
has been
indicted,
Inner City
Press wanted
on March 24 to
stakeout and
cover an event
on "The
Transatlantic
Slave Trade,
organized by
the UN
Remember
Slavery
Program, in
collaboration
with the
Department of
Public
Information" -
including in
continued
covering of
the expanding
UN corruption
scandal's link
to DPI and,
yes, the UN
Correspondents
Association.
But the
event was in
the ECOSOC
chamber, and
Inner City
Ppress'
downgraded
non-resident
correspondent
pass does not
allow it
through the
turnstile on
the second
floor to
access ECOSOC.
The glass door
to the
Security
Council, since
it was between
meetings, was
locked.
Inner
City Press,
whose
accreditation
was cut and
office seized
for trying to
cover UN
corruption, is
now Banned
from such
coverage, from
stakeout on
this event.
Combined with
the exposure
that there is
no rule on use
of
interpreters
booths, the
accreditation
cut mut be
reversed and
the work space
returned.
On the
slavery
connection to
corruption in
the UN and
DPI, Inner
City Press on
December 2
asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric:
Inner City
Press: today
is the
International
Day of
Remembrance of
the end of
transatlantic
slavery.
So, I wanted
to ask,
there's the
Global
Sustainability
Foundation,
one of the two
entities, I
guess, are
being subject
to some kind
of a review by
OIOS [Office
of Internal
Oversight
Services].
They
contribute… I
found the
document.
They
contributed
$60,000 to the
memorial
that's out in
front of the
GA [General
Assembly].
I wondered,
one, do you
have… in terms
of the… given
that the
founder of the
organization
has been
indicted for
bribe… use of
that
organization
for bribery,
do you have
any comment on
that?
And what's the
status of the
OIOS review of
the two
organizations'
interactions
with the
UN? And,
is Mr.
[Edmond] Mulet
the head of
the task
force?
Spokesman:
That is still
ongoing.
The work that
was being done
by the Chef de
Cabinet's
office will
continue by…
with the Chef
de Cabinet…
with the new
Chef de
Cabinet, Mr.
Mulet, who was
sworn in
today.
Inner City
Press:
Is there a
deadline for
the OIOS
review, given
the… I mean,
there was a
lot of heat
around the
issue and…?
Spokesman:
Not that I'm
aware
of.
Obviously,
they're trying
to do this as
quickly and
efficiently as
possible.
Inner City
Press:
And when they
finish, will
we know or…
from you?
Spokesman:
I hope to
know, because
I would like
to know.
But will Ban
Ki-moon,
canceling the
December 3
noon briefing
to take
question at
the stakeout,
accept a
question about
this UN
scandal?
Back on
October 20 as
the scandal
unveiled in
the corruption
charges
against former
UN General
Assembly
President John
Ashe, Ng Lap
Seng, Francis
Lorenzo of
South South
News and
others
continues to
expand, the
compromised
position of
the UN
Correspondents
Association
has come to
the fore.
In 2011
until now,
Inner City
Press has
exposed UNCA
for taking
funds from Ng
Lap Seng
vehicles, to
which it gave
awards, and
arranging Ng
Lap Seng photo
op(s) with UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon. UNCA
has not
provided any
explanation;
the UN through
Ban's
spokesman has
said for
example that
many people
get
photographs
with Ban. But
people like Ng
previously
found in US
Senate reports
to have made
irregular
campaign
contributions,
and co-owning
hotels links
to
prostitution?
On
October 20,
Inner City
Press asked UN
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about Ng, and
about how much
money the
Global
Sustainability
Foundation
gave for the
UN's “Ark of
Return” (anti)
slavery
memorial. Haq
wouldn't give
the dollar
figure - it's
at least
$60,000 -- and
seemed to says
it doesn't
matter where
the UN takes
money from,
only how the
UN uses it. Video here. From the UN's
October 20
transcript:
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
one question
about Global
Sustainability
Foundation,
one about Mr.
Ng Lap
Seng.
Seems that the
Global
Sustainability
Foundation
held a
luncheon for
and raised
funds for this
Arc of Return,
it's a
monument to
the
recollection
of
transatlantic
slavery.
And I wanted
to know, one,
I mean,
pending… this
just seems
it's a fact,
it's on their
website they
basically
present
themself as a
major sponsor
of the
monument,
which isn't
really my
understanding,
but can you
find out
without, it's
not an
audit.
It's just a
financial
question.
Did they, in
fact, give
money to it,
and why did
they sponsor
the luncheon
for it?
What was
their, in what
capacity did
they do that?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Again, this is
one of the
topics for
which we
expect any
relevant
information
will come out
through the
audit, so we
would await
that…
Inner City
press:
Can't you
answer just a
simple
financial
question…
Deputy
Spokesman:
No, I'm not
going…
Inner City
Press:
This is a
monument for
which the
Secretary-General
raised funds…
Deputy
Spokesman: I'm
not going…
Inner City
Press:
…how much did
they give?
Deputy
Spokesman:
I'm not going
to do the work
that the
auditors are
doing.
We're waiting
for the
auditors to go
about their
work, and
we'll see what
they have to
say. If
there's any
additional
avenues we
need to pursue
after that, we
can do that at
that point.
Inner City
Press:
Okay. I
want to ask
you another
question.
Mr. Ng Lap
Seng, who's
now out on $50
million bail,
it seemed he
sort of
penetrated the
UN system,
including
several photo
ops with Ban
Ki-moon
against a blue
background in
Cipriani's, I
wanted to ask
you, a major
financial
newspaper,
just on
cursory
research, said
he's a
co-owner of
the Fortuna
Hotel, which
has… quote,
this is all
from their
promotional
material,
table dancing
by strippers,
boasted
attractive and
attentive
hostesses from
China,
Singapore and
Korea, and
erotic girls
from Europe
and
Russia.
And I wanted
to know,
given, given
everything
that's said
from this
podium about
UN Women and
the need to
take these
issues
seriously, how
is it
possible… how
is it possible
that this, an
individual
engaged in
these
activities,
came… came to
such a
position of
prominence
and, and, and
closeness to
the
Secretary-General?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Matthew, we do
not speak for
David Ng Lap
Seng or his
group or his
business
holdings.
Any questions
on that have
to go to his
organizations.
The United
Nations does
not deal with
any of the, of
the entities,
with entities
like the ones
that you've
described.
Inner City
Press:
The money from
it was donated
to various UN
causes.
That’s why I'm
asking you to
respond to
this pending,
this unending
audit, what do
you think of
this?
Deputy
Spokesman:
The nature of
corporations
is that any
corporation
can have many,
many different
holdings.
I'm not going
to comment on
all of the
holdings of
different
groups,
depending upon
what they do
with the
UN. What
we're trying
to monitor is
how the funds
from these
groups
affected the
UN and the
dealings with
the two
entities that
we've been
talking
about.
That's being
audited, and
we'll follow
up on
that.
But the
group's
activities as
a whole,
that's an
issue for
other
authorities.
It's not…
It's not an
issue for the
United
Nations…
Inner City
Press: I
understand
what the audit
is…
Deputy
Spokesman:
It has
nothing, it
actually has
no actual
relevance to
the work we've
done.
Question:
It's just how
the money is
spent by the
UN, not where
the money came
from?
Deputy
Spokesman:
The audit is
designed to
follow up on
what effect,
what impact,
the activities
the groups and
of the monies
that they
spent have and
that's what
we're
following up
on...
Inner City
Press: Is it,
are you, is
the
Secretariat
yet viewing
the…
Secretariat
viewing the
charges of the
Southern
District of
New York as
mostly or
entirely
related to the
PGA [President
of the General
Assembly]?
I guess I'm
asking this
because things
like
South-South
News...
Yesterday, I'd
asked Stéphane
at the
founding of
the Global
Sustainability
Foundation,
there was Mr.
Nambiar.
There was the
spouse of the
Secretary-General.
There was not
Mr. Ashe
anywhere to be
seen. So
I just want to
be
clear.
Is this an
audit about
two… merely
two entities,
but as relates
to the UN
Secretariat or
just to the
PGA's office?
Deputy
Spokesman:
No, no, it's
as we have,
it's as we
described in
the statement
before.
It's about the
UN as a whole.
Background: Ng
Lap Seng was
found to have
brought the
same bags of
cash later
deployed at
the UN into
the US
earlier, in
the late 90s,
when his
Fortuna hotel
was linked to
organized
crime and even
human
trafficking.
From the WSJ:
“Who is Ng Lap
Seng, and what
did he want?
According to
several
well-informed
sources in
Hong Kong and
Macau, Mr. Ng
is a
mysterious
figure with
extensive
business in
China, where
he also held a
minor post as
a member of
the Chinese
People's
Political
Consultative
Conference in
his hometown
of Nan Hai in
Guangdong
province. In
Macau, his
most visible
interest is
his ownership
of the Fortuna
Hotel, a
garish
high-rise in
the gambling
district,
featuring a
20,000-square-foot
nightclub with
'table
dancing' by
strippers, as
well as a
massage parlor
and, according
to its
brochure,
'over 30
independent
karaoke rooms,
all
luxuriously
decorated with
the most
advanced sound
system for any
one interested
in performing
his favorite
songs.' The
brochure also
boasts
'attractive
and attentive
hostesses from
China, Korea,
Singapore,
Malaysia,
Vietnam,
Indonesia and
Burma together
with erotic
girls from
Europe and
Russia,
certainly
offer you an
exciting and
unforgettable
evening with
friends or
business
associates.'”
So what does
UN Women,
which has
still to
comment on UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous
linking rapes
to “R&R,”
same about
Ban's UN
(through UNCA)
accepting
“pimp and
trafficker” Ng
Lap Seng into
the UN, and
into UNCA's
Cipriani ball
for photos
with Ban and
his spouse?
We'll have
more on this.
Just as
UNCA "leaders"
from Voice
of America
and Reuters
(censorship
bid here)
tried to use
the UN to get
the
investigative
Press out, now
the UN
responds to
questions
about UNCA
selling
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon photo
ops to Ng Lap
Seng by
suggesting
that the
questioner,
because
present,
"condoned" the
sale.
Now,
with UNCA
still silent
on its links
with South
South News and
other Ng Lap
Seng vehicles,
here
is video
Inner City
Press
published in
December 2011
of UNCA's
murky photo
ops for Ban at
Cipriani,
which UNCA
seeks to
reproduce this
coming
December.
Even
then in
December 2011,
Inner City
Press'
accompanying
story reported
that it
"filmed what
it could of
the photo op
-- those
arranging it
kept telling
the Press it
had to leave
-- and
afterward
several in
Ban's circle
said they had
no idea who
the
businessmen
had been.
There was dark
talk about one
David Ng, a
businessman
who has
bankrolled
'vanity' media
projects given
awards that
night --
people funded
by Ng used the
word "vanity,"
so we use it
here."
Inner
City Press
published that
in December
2011 about Ng
and South
South News; it
quit UNCA and
with another
Executive
Committee
member who
quit in
disgust
co-founded
FUNCA, the
Free UN
Coalition for
Access. UNCA
continued
taking funds
from South
South News.
We'll have
more on this.
While UNCA
does not
represent all
journalists
accredited to
cover the UN
-- Inner City
Press for
example quit
the group in
2012 with
another
Executive
Committee
member and
co-founded the
new Free
UN Coalition
for Access
-- the UN
gives it a
privileged
position, a
large
clubhouse on
the third
floor of the
UN and,
automatically,
the first
question at
press
conferences.
But is
that
appropriate,
given that
UNCA received
money from
South South
News, “NGO 1”
in the
filing
against Ashe?
Not only did
UNCA receive
money from
South South
News: it gave
the group an
“UNCA award”
at a ceremony
at the
high-ceilinged
Cipriani's
restaurant on
December 15,
2011.
Inner
City Press,
which did not
quit UNCA in
fully ripened
disgust in
2012, was
present in
December 2011
and witnessed,
when Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon came
into
Cipriani's,
him being
shepherded
into a side
room for
photographs
with Asian men
in business
suits who
Inner City
Press did not
then recognize
-- but now
does.
UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, when
Inner City
Press asked on
October 13
about what it
had seen, said
perhaps Inner
City Press had
"condoned" it.
Video
here. But
Inner City
Press quit
UNCA after finding
conflicts of
interest in it,
and being
"ordered" to
not report on
this.
From the October
13 transcript:
Inner City
Press: I want
to ask
inevitably
about the
revelations
about Mr.
[John] Ashe
and Frank
Lorenzo and
others.
And just as
you… as the
lead
Spokesman, a
person that
travels around
with the
Secretary-General,
how… what
would you say
to the photos
that exist of
the
Secretary-General
with David Ng,
who was since
indicted, and
Frank Lorenzo
and,
particularly,
in instances
where it
appears that
groups that
receive
contributions
from the two
and then put
them in a room
to have
photographs
with the
Secretary-General?
Is this
something
that… how does
the
Secretary-General
view this in
retrospect,
and what's
going to be
done in the
future?
Spokesman:
First of all,
a photo of the
Secretary-General
with any
individual
should in no
way be
interpreted as
a sponsorship
or
agreement.
It's just a
photo.
The
Secretary-General
is very much a
public figure,
attends a lot
of public
events where
there are a
lot of
people.
Sometimes
people come up
to him and ask
to have their
photo
taken.
And it's done
within the…
within,
obviously, the
security
constraints
that need to
be had.
I think
whether it's
the
Secretary-General
of the United
Nations or
anyone in
leadership
position, you
will find when
you travel
with them that
a lot of
people want to
have their
photo taken
with
them.
Inasmuch as
that is… we
try to control
that,
sometimes it's
difficult to
do so. I
think the
Secretary-General
is as shocked
as anyone in
this building
at the charges
that were
levelled at
these two
individuals.
And he's very
disappointed
at the
accusations
towards the
United
Nations.
Inner City
Press:
obviously, to
business
interests
having an
actual kind of
formal
handshaking
one, I guess
I'll just say
that that is
worth
something to
them.
That's why
they…
Spokesman:
I'm not… I'm
not debating
that point…
[cross
talk]
I'm just
saying that
having a
picture of the
Secretary-General
with any
individual
should in no
way be seen as
a sponsorship,
approval,
making them
BFF's or
anything.
Inner City
Press: I
guess I just
want to be
more
specific.
If an event…
and there's
one that
actually, as
it turns out,
I witnessed in
Cipriani.
If the
Secretary-General
enters a large
space and is
then taken to
a smaller
space for such
photographs,
what's the
basis for
that, as
opposed to
people with
selfies?
I mean, I
understand
what you're
saying…
Spokesman:
I think, you
know, if you
were there,
then maybe you
condoned the
event as
well.
The issue is
the
Secretary-General
attends a lot
of
events.
Sometimes
there is a VIP
reception.
None of it
should be
construed as
anything as
the
Secretary-General
having his
picture taken
with anyone.
Inner City
Press: it's
been a number
of days now;
I'm assuming
that, if not
you, OLA
[Office of
Legal
Affairs],
someone has
read through
this long FBI
[Federal
Bureau of
Investigation]
affidavit.
And I want to
just ask you
again, because
in it, it says
that, after
the… the… the
official UN
document about
the Macau
centre was
procured,
there was a
separate
payment to Mr.
Ashe, separate
communications
with a UN
official
number one,
who reissued
the document
as a… amended…
revised for
technical
reasons, with
the name of
the company in
it. And
it seems to
me, even
before you
waiting for an
OIOS [Office
of Internal
Oversight
Services]
investigation,
the scope of
which wouldn't
touch that,
who in the UN
is actually…
how does it
work, first of
all?
Who… which
part of the UN
amends
documents
after they're
released?
Is it DGACM
[Department
for General
Assembly and
Conference
Management]…?
Spokesman:
Listen, I'm
not going to
talk about the
specifics of
the
case.
But it is
clear that if
the President
of one of the
legislative
bodies in this
Organization
which controls
the agenda, or
a sponsoring
country for
resolution,
asks the
Secretary-General
to amend a
text, we serve
as the
Secretariat.
It's not…
it's… it
doesn't entail
sponsoring of
what's inside
that
text.
While
Inner City
Press' answer
to the
spokesman's
"if you were
there, then
maybe you
condoned the
event as
well," is that
Inner City
Press quit
UNCA
after finding
conflicts of
interest in
it, and
being
"ordered" to
not report on
this, we'll
have more on
this.
On October 13,
Inner City
Press asked
this follow
up:
Inner City
Press: I just
want to
directly ask
you about the
idea that it's
sort of people
struggling to
get photos
with the UN
officials.
There was a…
there was a
peacekeeping
day concert
that was… for
which
solicitation
of… you know,
sponsorship
was sought by
a group called
World Harmony
Alliance, and
it had
nothing… the
group has
nothing to do
with
peacekeeping,
but they paid
for day.
They… they… in
fact, the
funder
complained
that he didn't
get the
promised
photograph
with Ban
Ki-moon, but I
wonder, what
was… what's
the UN's
understanding
when they take
outside
financial
sponsorship
for such a
day? I
mean, former
UN official
[Ibrahim]
Gambari was
seen with the
same group
taking
photographs on
the fourth
floor in the
Millennium
Hotel.
What's it all
about?
What’s
happening?
Spokesman:
What former
officials do
in hotels is
really not of
my purview.
Inner City
Press:
Sure.
What about UN
peacekeeping?
Spokesman:
I would take a
look at that
actual
programme, but
I would expect
every part of
the UN to do
due diligence
when it
partners with
an outside
organization.
And
just…
I'll leave it
at that.
Photo:
here's
now-charged
Lorenzo with #UNCA prez Pioli,
by Luiz
Rampelotto /
Europa
Newswire 1/3 pic.twitter.com/9faId8FIGb
On October 12,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq, video here, transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: in
light of these
charges
against John
Ashe, Frank
Lorenzo, and
others, it's
emerging that
the
Secretary-General,
if not met,
had staged
photo
opportunities
with a number
of the
individuals
charged.
And I wanted
to know, in
looking at
this, do you
have some kind
of a comment
on how these
occurred,
particularly
in instances
where they may
have been
arranged by a
third party,
been arranged
by an
organization
that invited
Ban Ki-moon
and then
received funds
from
South-South
News or others
and then put
the two
together on
photograph?
Was that
appropriate?
And what would
be your
response to…
to OIOS
[Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services]
looking at
that or
otherwise?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well,
regarding
that, as
you're aware,
the Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services will
do an
audit.
They've been
requested to
do that, and
so we'll be
able to see
whether there
was any effect
from either
the
relationship
with these
various
groups, these
two groups,
the Sun Kian
Ip Group and
the Global
Sustainability
Foundation,
and any of the
monies
received.
So, we'll
await what
they have to
say about any
of this.
Inner City
Press:
But, given
that Mr. Frank
Lorenzo has
been charged
and he's now
out on $2
million bail,
he was head of
South-South
News, which
spread $12
million,
according to
the documents,
throughout the
UN
system.
So, what was,
how, what was
the criteria
used to choose
these two NGOs
and not either
South-South
News or
International
Organization
for
South-South
Cooperation or
South South
Steering
Committee on
Sustainable
Development?
It seems like
it's a very
limited
inquiry and…
Deputy
Spokesman:
It's not
really an
inquiry.
It's an audit,
and this is
initial
step. If
OIOS feels
like there is
something…
there's a
direction
which they
need to go as
a result of
these initial
results,
they're
certainly free
to do that,
but we needed
to get the
ball rolling
and have an
initial step
forward so
that we can
look into what
exactly is the
impact of the
monies and the
relationship
with these
groups.
John Ashe at
UNCA with
former
president,
after and
before Pioli
click photo
for source /
credit
Back in
December 2011,
shepherding
Ban for this
(compensated)
photo op with
dubious
businessmen
was Giampaolo
Pioli, then as
now the
president of
UNCA. South
South News
interviewed
Pioli that
night,
bragging of
the UNCA award
it got / paid
for,
screenshot
from video
here.
Photo:
President of
UNCA, on SSN
before giving
them award.
How much has
UNCA gotten
from South
South? pic.twitter.com/9LnoW19IPM
(For context
it must be
noted too that
Pioli rented
one of his
Manhattan
apartments to
Palitha Kohona
then granted
Kohona's
request as Sri
Lanka's
Ambassador to
screen his
government's
war crimes
denial film
“Lies Agreed
To” in the
UN's Dag
Hammarskjold
Library
Auditorium:
this
precipitated
Inner City
Press quitting
UNCA, in full
disclosure.)
How can UNCA
be given first
questions to
ask about a
scandal
involving
South South
News, from
which UNCA
took more then
to which it
gave an award?
And what are
the other
implications?
(In
terms of Mr.
Ng's desire
for photo ops,
Inner City
Press is
informed that
he separately
wanted a photo
with US
President
Obama, and
paid six
figures to a
middleman -
who
disappeared
with the
money. UNCA on
the other
hand, one wag
noted,
delivered Ban
Ki-moon for
photos at
Cipriani's.)
UNCA,
it should be
noted, has
been and is
open to
business
interested
beyond Mr. Ng
and South
South News.
Another UNCA
awards
ceremony was
sponsored by a
company called
“Acoona;” the
Italian oil
company ENI
pays the group
money.
But UNCA's
South South
News
connection,
given what has
been disclosed
and charged
this week,
should at a
minimum and as
a first step
disqualify
UNCA from
first
questions from
the UN, and
from the
continuation
of its role.
Consider:
if it gave
rise to
criminal
charges that
South South
News paid Ashe
to get a GA
document for
Ng to show off
in Macau, who
about South
South News
paying UNCA,
and UNCA
delivering Ban
for a photo op
with Ng, that
Ng could use
for related
purposes?
We'll have
more on this.
Wider, and
going forward
in this
series,
limiting UN
investigation
to OIOS -
whose director
of
investigations
Stefanovic has
resigned,
Inner City
Press hereby
exclusively
reported on
October 9 -
looking at
only two NGOs
is laughable.
The scandal is
expanding:
there is a
pattern here,
pattern and
practice.
Watch this
site. Follow @innercitypressFollow @FUNCA_info
, 
