In
Kosovo
with EULEX
Corruption
Probed for 11
Months,
Results
Public When?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
December 4,
updated -- The
Kososo
representative
of the UN
Farid
Zarif, when
after delays
he briefed the
UN Security
Council on
December 4,
said that “the
corruption
allegations made
recently
against
current and
former members
of the EULEX
mission have
drawn a
considerable
amount of
public and
media
attention. The
new EULEX Head
of Mission,
Ambassador
Gabriele
Meucci, has
confirmed that
investigations
into the
allegations
have been, and
remain,
ongoing
since 2013."
Apparently
the
length of time
the
investigations
have been
ongoing -- at
least
eleven months
-- is supposed
to give
assurances
that it is a
serious
investigation.
But in the UN,
at least, what
so often
happens is
that
things are
investigated
so long that
they get
forgotten
about, or no
accountability
is possible.
This happened
for example
with rapes in
Minova in the
DR Congo by
units of the
Congolese Army
which the UN
still
supports; UN
Peacekeeping
is doing it
again now in
Darfur, and
in South Sudan
on a
helicopter
shoot-down.
The Darfur
allegations of
cover up, by
whistleblower
Aicha Elbasri,
are echoed in
the
allegations of
EULEX whistleblower
Maria Bamieh.
But in the
Darfur case,
UN Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon
largely
dismissed the
whistleblower's
allegations --
in a UN
prepared
report of
which he released
only the executive
summary, only
to the Security
Council, which
considered but
did not act on
it on December
4.
The
UK's
Ambassador
Tatham, when
his turn on
Kosovo came,
said “the
allegations
in the press
about the
EULEX mission
need to be
looked into.
The High
Representative
has announced
an external,
independent
investigation
into EULEX,
which we fully
support.”
Others
went a bit
further, with
Luxembourg for
example
arguing that
the
allegations --
which, yes,
are being
investigated,
as they have
been
since 2013 --
should not be
allowed to
undermine
support for
EULEX.
But if things
are allowed to
proceed as
they have with
UN
Peacekeeping,
where results
are rarely
made public
and those in
charge don't
take or answer
press
questions,
undermine it
well might.
Inner
City Press,
which earlier
on December 4
sought without
success an
answer about
the Darfur
cover up from
UN
Peacekeeping's
Herve
Ladsous, video
here,
while covering
the Kosovo
debate made
just that
point, on
Twitter.
In welcome
responses,
both the
Missions of Germany
and Luxembourg
reiterated
their support
for the EU
High
Representative's
move to
investigate.
But
again, if it's
already been
ongoing for
more than 11
months, where
does it stand?
Will the
results be
made public?
When? We'll
have more
on this.
Update:
Inner City
Press is
informed that
the UN's High
Representative
Mogherini
asked the
investigator
to revert with
report and
recommendations
within four
months, and
that in recent
meeting in
Brussels all
EU member states
stressed need
for
transparency
and open
communication
strategy. Here's
hoping.
, 
