Behind Tuesday's UN Corruption Story, Kid-Gloves on Americans, Lockheed's No-Bid Contract

Byline: Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN: News Analysis

UNITED NATIONS, December 18 -- UN corruption was ostensibly the topic of a story in the Washington Post on Tuesday, focused on charges by the UN Procurement Task Force including against efforts by midlevel staffer Abdul Karim "Masri to solicit a kickback from a construction executive on a $5.5 million contract to refurbish an airfield in eastern Congo." The timing of the story is not unrelated, it seems, to the questioning of continued funding for the PTF by Singapore and other developing countries, who have demanded to see the PTF's results. Tuesday morning, the U.S. mission let it be known that they'd like to answer questions about the report.

            This desire to speak was particularly welcome given the US Mission's lack of public comment on questions raised, here and in the Fifth (budget) Committee, about the UN's $250 million no-bid contract with U.S.-based military contractor Lockheed Martin, through its Pacific Architects & Engineer (PAE) unit, for peacekeeping infrastructure in Darfur.  In fact, PAE has been identified as overcharging the UN, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for airfield services and repair -- the type of work for which Mr. Masri allegedly sought a bribe.

            A well-placed source with whom Inner City Press spoke about Tuesday's article indicates that Masri's supervisor was an American, Barbara Jean Klopp, and that in an earlier account, Masri was quoted as saying, "I need money for my boss." But neither the PTF nor the Washington Post mention Ms. Klopp, much less Lockheed's PAE and its irregularities in the Congo.  Notably, Ms. Klopp is now said to be among those handling procurement in Darfur, where Lockheed got its no-bid contract.

Washington to UN, UN to Washington (Post)

            Inner City Press on Tuesday asked U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, as transcribed by the U.S. Mission:

Inner City Press: "on The Washington Post article. One of the irregularities alleged is in the Congo and one of their - actually, a company with irregularities in the Congo is this U.S.-based Pacific Architectural Engineer, airfield services which now has the Darfur contract.  I guess what I'm wondering is, do you feel in - as these issues are pursued, could there be more transparency in how this company got the Darfur contract?  And are you willing to follow these - you know, these leads, whatever the companies - whatever country the companies are based in?"

Ambassador Khalilzad: "Well, I think that the investigation should get to the bottom of the charges that have been made, and appropriate action has to be taken.  I don't want to get into any specific companies, but as a general principle, we support very much, as I said, a transparent, open, effective and efficient process.  And when there are allegations of misconduct or wrongdoing, they need to be investigated to the full extent of the law."

            While Amb. Khalilzad's response to Inner City Press' question was alchemized into a story by Reuters, it appears he dodged the question, and the U.S. Mission misspelled Pacific Architects and Engineers as " Pacific Architectural Engineer." Maybe that's why they've gotten away with it so far...  Watch this site.

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Click here for a Reuters AlertNet piece by this correspondent about Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army. Click here for an earlier Reuters AlertNet piece about the Somali National Reconciliation Congress, and the UN's $200,000 contribution from an undefined trust fund.  Video Analysis here

  Because a number of Inner City Press' UN sources go out of their way to express commitment to serving the poor, and while it should be unnecessary, Inner City Press is compelled to conclude this installment in a necessarily-ongoing series by saluting the stated goals of the UN agencies and many of their staff. Keep those cards, letters and emails coming, and phone calls too, we apologize for any phone tag, but please continue trying, and keep the information flowing.

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