SDNY COURTHOUSE,
July 26 – Sierra Leone's
Mission to the United Nations
has been sued for "posing an
immediate danger [with] mold
and vermin infestation." Inner
City Press first reported the
case on May 21 and it has
since been picked up.
The Sierra
Leonean Mission is at 245 East
49th Street, right near the
United Nations which also
poses dangers, in its
impunity. June 2 Inner City
Press live stream here.
On June 4,
not the Mission but contractor
Empire Group NYC, LCC make a
number of proposals, including
cleaning up the Mission's
debris. The cover letter says,
"as soon as the Permanent
Mission of the Republic of
Sierra Leone to the United
[Nations] appears in the case,
the Court should schedule a
prompt return date for its
response to the OTSC issued by
the Court."
Now on July 26 an
emergency hearing has been
sought as Sierra Leone's UN
mission and its contractors
refuse to comply with an
order, for example: "Remove
all debris from inside the
Mission that pose an ongoing
fire hazard... The Mission's
lawyers have refused to take
additional photographs or any
any inspection of the Mission
on purported grounds of Sierra
Leone's national security."
Sounds like the corrupt
UN-world of Guterres, still
banning Press.
Back on June 7,
Judge Ramos ordered: "CONSENT
ORDER: ORDERED that Plaintiffs
and Defendants shall enter
into an access agreement by
June 7, 2021 for the
Defendants to enter onto
Plaintiffs' property to
install a temporary chimney
extension. (As further set
forth in this Order.) The June
23, 2021 hearing is hereby
adjourned. (Signed by Judge
Edgardo Ramos on 6/7/2021)
(cf)."
Now on June 22,
Empire has cross-moved against
the UN Mission of Sierra Leone
for its negligence. Watch this
site.
On June 3, the
June 4 proceeding was pushed
back to June 23: "ORDER
granting [35] Letter Motion
for Extension of Time to File
Response/Reply re [35] SECOND
LETTER MOTION for Extension of
Time to File Response/Reply as
to [14] Order to Show Cause
Set Deadlines addressed to
Judge Edgardo Ramos from
Christopher Slowik dated
06/03/2021. Granted. The June
4, 2021 conference is hereby
adjourned to June 23, 2021 at
4:30 p.m. Defendants'
opposition is now due Tuesday,
June 15, 2021, and Plaintiffs'
reply is now due Thursday,
June 17, 2021. (Signed by
Judge Edgardo Ramos on
6/3/2021)."
On June 2, the
country's Foreign Minister
David J. Francis has been
served, at OAU Drive, Tower
Hill, Freetown, Sierra Leone,
all papers:
"I hereby certify
under the penalties of perjury
that on the 2nd day of June,
2021, I served: Permanent
Mission of The Republic of
Sierra Leone to The United
Nations, c/o Foreign Minister
David J. Francis, OAU Drive,
Tower Hill, Freetown, Sierra
Leone the head of the
ministry of foreign affairs,
pursuant to the provisions of
the Foreign Sovereign
Immunities Act, 28 U.S.C. §
1608(a)(3). __1__ copy(ies) of
the Notice of Suit, Summons,
Compliant deemed filed May 14,
2021, Exhibits to the
Complaint, Notice of
Appearance for Rachel Maimin,
Proposed Temporary Restraining
Order and Order to Show Cause
for Preliminary Injunction,
Memorandum of Law in Support
of Plaintiffs’ Ex Parte
Application, Declaration of
Janet Harvey & Matthew
Bendix, Foreign Sovereign
Immunities Act, Order to Show
Cause. by DHL EXPRESS 866 0446
163 Dated: New York, New York
June 2, 2021 RUBY J. KRAJICK
CLERK OF COURT /s/JaVonn Ross
DEPUTY CLERK."
After
Inner City Press exclusively
reported on this case, and was
contacted by media in Sierra
Leone, now the Foreign
Ministry has issued a two page
press release saying it has
been directed to our media
report, and calling it
misleading and inaccurate.
While
unlike the even more corrupt
UN of Antonio Guterres, who
rather than respond to
questions using UN Security to
rough
up and ban the Press
that asks them, the Ministry
has spoken, it does not stand
up. Just consider the photos
of how they left the site of
their "Chancery."
And they do not
specify what they say the US
State Department did not do.
(Inner City Press got answers
from the State Department on
May 27, here,
but has not yet asked about
this, since it didn't know of
the Ministries response until
May 28).
The
pickers-upper also note that
Sierra Leone's government
transferred some $3.2 million
to their UN Mission in New
York, including "5-Sep-19
FT1924808290 Outward Swift
Payment 9,329,999,975.14," the
spending of which remains
unclear given the conditions
of the "Chancery." There's
also the IMF's March 15, 2021
OK-ing of $50.37 million to
Sierra Leone under its Rapid
Credit Facility. We aim to
have more on this. Watch this
site.
Next door
neighbors have sued the
Mission in the U.S. District
Court for the Southern
District of New York, which
Inner City Press while banned
from the UN by Antonio
Guterres now covers daily.
The
complaint identifies Sierra
Leonean diplomats' "failure to
follow basic fire-prevention
protocols... creating an
opportunity for flying debris,
fire and other
dangers."
The SDNY docket
reflects that, of the
complaint, "service was accept
by Fatima (F/B 40-49 years
old, 5'4" tall, 140 pounds
with black hair and brown
eyes) who advised at the time
of service that she is
authorized to accept on behalf
of the Permanent Mission of
the Republic of Sierra Leone
to the UN."
On May 27,
the SDNY's Deputy Clerk
certified serving the
country's foreign minister,
pursuant to the Provisions of
the Foreign Sovereign
Immunities Act, 28 USC
1608(a)(3).
Inner City
Press will be following this
case, and others of impunity.
The case is
Harvey et al. v. Permanent Mission of the
Republic of Sierra Leone to the UN, et al.,
21-cv-4368 (Ramos)
***
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