As UN
Bribery Case
Expands, Ban's
Spox Won't Say
If Cooperates,
South South
News
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
September 8 --
As the UN
bribery
scandal
gathered force
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon called
for an audit
by the UN
Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services of
Sheri Yan's
Global
Sustainability
Foundation
(GSF), David
Ng Lap Seng's
Sun Kian Ip
Group and its
affiliates
including the
"World Harmony
Foundation"
and South
South News,
among others.
The
audit,
completed
early this
year but first
put online
by Inner City
Press,
directly
criticizes
Cristina
Gallach, the
Under
Secretary
General for
Communications
and Public
Information,
Paragraphs
37-40 -- and
20b.
This last
concerns the
lack of any
due diligence
by the UN
Department of
Public
Information
under Under
Secretary
General
Cristina
Gallach of Ng
Lap Seng's
GWF's
sponsorship of
the “Ark of
Return”
ceremony. So
on August 23,
the
International
Day for the
Remembrance of
Slavery and
its Abolition,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban Ki-moon's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, UN transcript
here and
below.
On September
8, Inner City
Press asked
Ban Ki-moon's
spokesperson
Stephane
Dujarric about
developments
in the Ng Lap
Seng case, and
if the UN was
cooperating in
any way. Vine
here; UN transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
about the Ng
Lap Seng
case.
Assuming that
the UN is
tracking it,
as it's
expanded,
they're now
asking about
other
individuals
beyond Ng Lap
Seng, but one
of the guys is
Mr. Qin,
Q-I-N, and
he's quoted in
the Macau
press as
saying that he
also was a
partner in
South-South
News. I
know you said
from here many
times there's
some sort of a
review.
Are you
following this
case to see
what…
Spokesman:
Yes, we're
very much
following the
case. As
we've said,
our… the UN is
cooperating
with the
relevant
authorities
here in the…
judicial
authorities in
the United
States.
ICP
Question:
There was a
request by Ng
Lap Seng's
lawyers for
certain
documents from
the UN.
They wrote to
the head of
OLA (Office of
Legal Affairs)
and asked for
them.
Have any of
those
documents been
provided?
Spokesman:
As I said, we
are
cooperating
with the
authorities.
Any requests
that come from
the
authorities
will be
studied and
given due
consideration.
So the
UN would only
consider
helping if
ordered - and
might not,
even then.
This is
impunity -and
cover up.
From August
23:
Inner City
Press: in the
audit of the
Ng Lap
Seng/John Ashe
case, there’s
a paragraph on
the failure to
do due
diligence on
the ceremony
of the Ark of
Return
outside.
And I’ve asked
before, but I
wanted to ask
now after all
this time, how
much money did
Ng Lap Seng,
still on trial
for bribery,
commit at that
event?
And what
repercussions,
what
accountability,
on that event
and on the
audit
generally,
have taken
place…?
Spokesman:
I think… we’ve
asked this
question…
you’ve asked
this question
before.
The audit and
its
recommendations
were taken up
seriously by
all the
Departments
named.
As for the…
for the
ceremony, I
think you’d
have to ask
the
organizers.
But the
organizers are
indicted; some
like the GSF's
Sheri Yan have
pleaded guilty
and been
sentenced to
20 months in
prison. Ask
them? Or ask
Gallach, who
never spoke to
Inner City
Press before
ousting it,
and now hasn't
even as Inner
City Press is
excluded from
covering event
without a
minder, while
the media
Gallach's DPI
is trying to
give Inner
City Press'
long time
shared office
to, Akhbar Al
Yom, never
comes in,
never asks
questions? Ask
whom? More
from the
transcript:
Inner City
Press:
so what’s the
status of the
recommendation
that had to do
with due
diligence…
Spokesman:
They’re all
being… they’re
all being
fulfilled.
On August 11,
lawyers for Ng
Lap Seng filed
in Federal
court their
formal demand
to the UN and
Ban Ki-moon's
chief lawyer
Manuel de
Serpa Soares
to produce a
slew of
financial and
other
information,
including all
of its
communications
with South
South News.
SSN is
described in
the file, by
the
prosecution,
as a vehicle
of bribery but
the UN has
left it in its
office -- a
conflict of
interest --
while evicting
Inner City
Press which
asked
questions
about it. Ban
Ki-moon's UN
is corrupt.
We'll have
more on this.
On July 29
Shiwei Yan
a/k/a Sheri
Yan was
sentenced to
20 months in
prison, was
fined $12,500
and forfeited
$300,000. U.S.
Attorney Preet
Bharara's press
release, here.
On August 1,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban Ki-moon's
deputy
spokeman
Farhan Haq, UN Transcript
here:
Inner
City Press:
This has to do
with the
sentencing of
Sherri Yan in
the John
Ashe-Ng Lap
Seng case on
Friday and she
was sentenced
to 20 months
in federal
prison,
$300,000 of
forfeiture,
and Judge
Broderick said
the case,
which is an
ongoing case,
has damaged
the UN.
So, I wanted
to know, given
that the case
is about
bribery within
the UN and
given the
judge's
statement,
what is your
comment on the
sentencing and
the
continuation,
continuing of
the case?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, we don't
have any
particular
comment on the
sentencing.
Of course, we
have been
following this
process and we
have been
sharing
information
that is
relevant; but,
from our
standpoint,
what we need
to do is get
to the bottom
of what
happened here
to make sure
that UN
officials are
not tainted by
this and that
ultimately
everyone knows
that no
officials,
whether Member
States or
otherwise,
should be
participating
in these sorts
of activities.
This is Ban
Ki-moon's UN:
Ban attended
Sheri Yan's
father's one
person art
show, had his
photo taken at
it. See
here.
Ban and Yan's
bio, credit
via photo
links
The UN claims
the Ng Lap
Seng and Sheri
Yan case has
nothing to do
with it or
especially
Ban, who wants
to run for
President of
South Korea.
But this is
false.
Ban is
allowing new
privatization
of the UN,
through UN
Security; his
spokesman is
trying to
discourage
questions
about it by
accusing Inner
City Press of
“unethical
Googling,”
after having
played a role
in ousting and
evicting Inner
City Press.
This is Ban's
UN.
From
the July 11
order in the
Ng Lap Seng
case:
"Defendant Ng
and his
counsel, with
CJA counsel
Mr. Wikstrom,
and counsel
for the
Government,
are instructed
to appear for
the conclusion
of the Curcio
hearing on
Monday, July
18, 2016 at
10:00 a.m...
Trial is set
to commence on
January 23,
2017." While
Team Ban
Ki-moon might
be happy the
formal trial
doesn't begin
until Ban
leaves the UN
and, some say,
his formal run
for South
Korea
president
does, there
will be more
files
development
before then.
In Federal
Court, there
more links
between South
South News,
still with a
UN official
from Ban
Ki-moon as
Inner City
Press while
investigating
it was
evicted, and
bribery in the
United
Nations. On
July 8, Inner
City Press
asked Ban's
deputy
spokesman
Farhan Haq,
video here, UN Transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: There's
been new
filings in the
Ng Lap Seng
case in the
Southern
District, and
since you'd
said
previously
that the UN is
monitoring
this, these
filings have
to do directly
with
South-South
News.
And they
quote… they
have put into
the record a
letter in
which
South-South
News is
described as
wanting to
have part of
this Macau
Centre that
was the… the
thing that Ng
Lap Seng was
trying to
procure these
documents
for.
It's described
as a global
media platform
authorized by
the UN.
And they put
these in as…
as essentially
saying that
this is a
conduit for
bribery.
So, I wanted
to know:
Since you've
said that the
UN is
monitoring
this, given
that the
prosecutor
[inaudible]
has put this…
this letter, I
guess they got
it in
discovery or
in some other
fashion in,
what is the
UN's response
to it?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well, like I
said, we have
been
monitoring it
and are
looking at all
of the
information
that's coming
up. And
in that
regard, as you
know, there's
an ongoing
review of the
status of
South-South
News.
There's no
conclusion to
that review at
this point.
Inner City
Press:
And I'd asked
on
Tuesday.
I'd asked
Stéphane in
writing… there
was a meeting
held down in
1D Basement,
DPI
[Department of
Public
Information]
and something
called the
Malko
Investment
Group.
And since I
googled Malko
Investment
Group and
nothing came
up, I sent him
an e-mail and
asked what is
this entity
and why is
this meeting
being held in
the UN?
And I wanted
to reiterate
to you, why
would DPI be
having a
meeting in a
UN
meeting room
with an
investment
group and
particularly
one that
doesn't…
that's either
misnamed on
the sign or
doesn't exist
at all?
Deputy
Spokesman:
I'm not aware
of the
circumstances
of the
meeting.
I will check
with DPI, what
they have to
say about
that.
But, at this
stage, I'm
not… I'm not
aware whether
they're the
sponsor of
that… of that
particular
meeting or
not.
Deputy
Spokesman:
I'm not aware
of the details
of whether
they're the
actual
sponsors.
Sometimes
meetings are
set up by
Member States’
organizations.
We'd have to
check.
Haq did
not return
with any
answer from
due
diligence-less
DPI. From
the
prosecutor's
new letter:
"in an email
dated on or
about March
12, 2010, an
individual
affiliated
with the State
Council
Information
Office, an
entity of the
PRC
government,
sent an email
to a business
associate of
Ng, containing
a draft letter
(in Chinese)
for Ng to sign
or approve.
According to a
draft
translation
prepared by
the Federal
Bureau of
Investigation
(“FBI”), the
letter, which
began with Ng
introducing
himself as a
member of
Chinese
People’s
Political
Consultative
Conference
(“CPPCC”), a
political
advisory body,
and as the
“Chairman of
the Board of
the United
Nations South
South News,”
stated in
pertinent
part:
[quote] my
greatest wish
is to fairly
and
objectively
report the
social
development,
religion,
culture, and
ideology of
China through
the South
South News, a
global media
platform
authorized by
the UN, to
display
China’s soft
power, counter
malicious,
distorted news
by anti-China
forces, and
let the whole
world hear a
true voice
that comes
from China to
understand the
real China. .
. .
. . . I will
select
suitable
regions in
China to
establish a
South South
Cooperation
Organization
International
Conference
Center and a
South South
News Network
Media
Production
Center as a
base of
operations for
South South
News.
Hope that the
plan to
establish two
centers and
the
development of
South South
News in China
can obtain
strong support
from the
government of
China.
[unquote]
As the Court
is aware,
South South
News, the
entity
described in
the above
email, is the
conduit
through which
the Government
alleges that
defendants Ng
and Jeff C.
Yin funneled
some of their
bribe and
money
laundering
payments.”
So it says
South South
News was
“authorized”
by the UN; the
prosecution
says Ng and
Yin used South
South News as
a conduit for
bribery in the
UN. And as of
July 8, South
South News
still has its
UN official
from Ban
Ki-moon as
Inner City
Press while
investigating
it was evicted
and is now
restricted to
only cover
events on the
UN Conference
Building's
second floor
-- ECOSOC and
the
Trusteeship
Council
Chambers, the
General
Assembly and
General
Assembly
President's
office -- with
one of Ban
Ki-moon's
minders. This
is Ban's UN.
Inner City
Press: Monday
down in… in
Federal Court,
there was a
hearing for
Mr. Ng Lap
Seng in the
ongoing case,
and Assistant
District
Attorney
[Daniel]
Richenthal
basically
widened the
case and said
they're going
to be… there's
more things
they're
looking at as
to Ng Lap
Seng, and he
also described
in more detail
a, quote,
conduit of
bribery taking
place within
the UN.
And I wanted
to know, since
you've said
you're
monitoring it,
what is the
UN's response
to the new
information
that was
presented on
Monday?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Yeah, we are
aware of the
latest
information,
and, as I've
pointed out,
the situation
of South-South
News is under
review.
It continues
to be under
review, but
certainly, any
new
information is
useful in
light of that.
After the
above, a
corporate news
wire which has
a conflict of
interest on
this passed
through South
South News'
claims that it
has had "no connection with any government at any level"
- this is
false. But the
conflicted
corporate
wire, with its
own Permanent
seat on the
board of hte
UN
Correspondents
Assocation
which took
money from
Ng's South
South News,
merely passes
through the
denial. Call
it journalism?
We'll have
more on this.
On June 27,
former South
South News
reporter
turned
spokesperson
for John Ashe
and now his
family wrote
to the UN
press corps,
some of whom
she saw over
the weekend:
"Dear Friends
and Dear UN
and Media
Representatives,
I am kindly
forwarding a
Statement from
the Family of
the late John.
W. Ashe,
President of
the UN General
Assembly 68th
Session, at
the request of
his widowed
wife, Anilla
Cherian.I have
accepted to
forward this
Statement in
my personal
capacity and
in honor of
Ambassador
Ashe’s legacy
as a
long-serving
diplomat.
I will not be
addressing any
questions and
I do
appreciate
your
understanding.
It was very
nice seeing
several of you
over the
weekend. I
hope you are
all doing
well."
If the goal
was to
distinguish
South South
News from John
Ashe and Ng
Lap Seng, this
doesn't do it.
The audit
deals with
South South
News - which
as of June 27
STILL has a UN
office, photo
here,
UNlike Inner
City Press. In
Ban's UN one
only gets due
process if one
has money, or
pays money, as
South South
News did,
including to
the UN
Correspondents
Association
which then
gave Ng Lap
Seng a
photo-op with
Ban. Or as the
Saudis did to
get Ban to
remove them
from the Yemen
Children and
Armed Conflict
annex.
On June 27 in
Federal Court,
Assistant U.S.
Attorney
Daniel
Richenthal
said that
South South
News was a
conduit for
bribery
involving the
now
conveniently
(and
mysteriously)
deceased
former PGA
John Ashe.
(Some with
links to Ashe
try to erase
all trace, but
here
is one:
UNCA with
AAshe's
spokesperson
Konja,
formerly of
South South
News), which
one
wire-with-a-conflict
covering this
story never
mentions.
Compare to this.)
Meanwhile
while Inner
City Press can
only work with
minders, its
office given
to Akhbar
Elyom's
correspondent,
a former UNCA
presdient,
sits empty and
Gallach
gallavants in
Paris. We'll
have more on
all this.
Nor does Ban's
audit mention
that his Sri
Lanka adviser
Vijay Nambiar
and his
spouse, Ban
Soon-taek,
were both
present at the
founding of
the Global
Sustainability
Foundation;
the latter
took photos
with South
South News'
indicted
Vivian Wang at
the UN
Correspondents
Association
ball where
UNCA gave Ng,
from whose
South South
News it took
money, a photo
op with Ban
himself.
On April 16,
at Ban's and
his USG
Cristina
Gallach's
direction,
Inner City
Press' long
time UN office
in S-303 was
evicted and
five boxes of
files were
dumped onto
First Avenue.
Video
here and here.
On April 20,
the Free UN
Coalition for
Access sign on
S-303 was
removed (photo
here)
without the
consent of
Inner City
Press' office
mate, also a
FUNCA member,
who was told
that the lock
was being
changed,
presumably to
sell the
office to
someone else.
Inner City
Press
immediately
objected to
MALU, the DSG,
Chef de
Cabinet and
Spokesman,
putting them
on notice.
And lo and
behold it was
given to a
former UNCA
president who
never comes to
the UN, never
asks
questions:
Saana Youssef
of Egyptian
state media
Akhbar Elyom.
This is Ban's
UN.
UNCA,
at least under
Giampaolo
Pioli, openly
tells people
to pay it
money, it can
get them UN
official
space. This is
corruption.
Now
since the
eviction of
Inner City
Press, South
South News has
sent out a
press release
saying that
despite the
guilty plea by
its President
Francis
Lorenzo and
indictment of
its Vice
President
Vivan Wang, it
is clean - and
blames its
problems on a
"few
independent
journalists."
Wonder who's
referred to -
as the other
one(s).
Not Reuters,
which passes
through
without
analysis South
South News'
press releases
- and without
disclosing
that Reuters'
Lou
Charbonneau
and now
Michelle
Nichols have
occupied
Reuters'
permanent seat
on the
Executive
Committee of
the UN
Correspondents
Association,
which took
South South
News' money
then arranged
a photo op for
Ng Lap Seng
with Ban
Ki-moon.
South
South News'
founding is
described in
the John Ashe
and Ng Lap
Seng
indictment; it
is portrayed
through gauze
in the OIOS
audit. The
name South
South News has
appeared in
the Panama
Papers.
For
now, another
UN example. To
deliver
"personal"
invitations to
the South
South Awards,
which USG
Gallach
attended in
September
2015, South
South News
needed access
to the UN
during the
Septameber
High Level
week. So,
Inner City
Press is
informed,
South South
News personnel
got D or
Diplomat
passes through
Lorenzo's
Dominican
Republic
mission to the
UN. Back,
indeed.
Here
are an initial
two of many
photographs of
that event,
these by Luiz
Rampelotto of
Europa
Newswire via
Facebook,
including one
of now
indicted
Vivian Wang of
South South
News with Mrs.
Ban
Here's from
South South
News' press
release:
"It is
disgraceful
that a few
independent
journalists
are exhibiting
a lack of
professionalism
and
irresponsibility
by attacking
everything and
anyone they
believe is
linked to this
case. This is
often done by
insinuation,
guilt by
association
and baseless
assumptions
that disparage
many innocent
people and
organizations.
Irresponsible
assumptions,
fact-twisting
and
misinformation
serve to
distort the
perception of
the situation,
while
affecting our
hard work and
the work of
many innocent
people who
have
absolutely
nothing to do
with this
case.
These types of
attacks are
counterproductive
and
unprofessional.
We believe
these attacks
reflect poorly
on the
integrity of
the profession
of journalism
as a whole.
Not to justify
any illegal
activities,
but all sorts
of
organizations
worldwide have
been victims
of
unscrupulous
people, as
have other
organizations
facing similar
circumstances.
We as
employees will
defend our
hard and
honest work
and we will
defend the
commitment to
our goals and
objectives of
producing
quality
journalism to
inform about
these
important
issues. This
hard-earned
reputation has
been tainted
by some
unscrupulous
acts. Many
media and
administrative
professionals
have proudly
worked for
South-South
News and can
attest to the
integrity of
our media
operation.
This is a
complex case
in which many
players from
different
organizations
and events
have been
implicated, as
detailed in
the
Government’s
complaint. It
is working its
way through
the United
States
judiciary
system, as it
well should.
If you have
questions
regarding the
people
mentioned in
the US
Government
complaint, you
should contact
their legal
representatives
directly.
Again,
South-South
News is
continuing its
professional
day-to-day
functions by
providing some
of the most
comprehensive,
high-quality
coverage of
the UN and
disseminating
information on
global
development
issues."
The same
indicted
Vivian Wang of
South South
News with
David Ng Lap
Seng at the
same UNCA
event
On
this, Inner
City Press on
January 29
sought to
cover an UNCA
event held in
the UN Press
Briefing Room,
which was
nowhere listed
as
closed.
On February
19
Gallach,
without
recusing
herself,
unilaterally
deactivated
Inner City
Press UN
residential
correspondents
pass, and had
Inner City
Press'
reporter
physically
thrown out on
First Avenue
without coat
or passport. Audio
here.
This is
called
retaliation.
On the
afternoon of
April 12,
Inner City
Press while
with another
colleague
asked Ban
about
Gallach's
orders.
"That
is not my
decision," Ban
said quickly.
He is aware;
the ouster and
censorship
serve him, but
he says it is
not his
decision, just
as for example
Sri Lanka's
Mahinda
Rajapaksa or
higher profile
censors might.
On the
evening of
April 12
Gallach ordered
the final
eviction
of all of
Inner City
Press'
investigative
files on
Saturday,
April 16 at 10
am. This is
the face of
today's UN
corruption.
This is what
the UN
eviction order
sent to Inner
City Press
says:
Subject:
Office
To:matthew.lee
[at]
innercitypress.com
From: Tal
Mekel [at]
un.org
Date: Tue, Apr
12, 2016 at
6:47 PM
Dear Mr. Lee,
Further to the
letter to you
from Cristina
Gallach,
Under-Secretary-General
for
Communications
and Public
Information,
on 30 March
2016, we note
that you did
not remove
your
belongings
from the
office by the
6 April
deadline as
required.
As you have
still not
removed your
belongings, we
wish to inform
you that your
belongings
will be
packaged on
Saturday 16
April 2016 at
10:00 a.m.
After
carefully
packaging them
up, your
belongings
will be
forwarded to
Bronx NY
headquarters
address for
Inner City
Press that you
had listed in
your media
accreditation
application.
If you wish us
to forward
your packaged
belongings to
another
address
instead,
please let us
know as soon
as possible.
We request
your presence
during the
packing.
Please contact
the Media
Accreditation
and Liaison
Unit (MALU) to
make the
necessary
arrangements.
If you are not
present, the
packing and
forwarding
will still
take place at
10:00 a.m. on
Saturday 16
April 2016.
Best, Tal
Tal Mekel
Acting Chief
Media
Accreditation
and Liaison
Unit
United Nations
- S-250
New York, NY
10017
And here is
some of what
the OIOS
audit says,
about USG
Gallach:
"37. On 30
June 2015,
Global
Sustainability
Foundation
sponsored an
exhibition
titled “The
Transformative
Power of Art”
in the
visitors’
lobby at
United Nations
Headquarters.
This
exhibition was
curated by an
Italian
artist, whose
works were
displayed
along with the
works of other
artists
participating
in one of his
workshops.
38.
Exhibitions in
publicly
accessible
areas at
Headquarters
are governed
by the
Secretary
General’s
Bulletin
ST/SGB/2008/6,
which
stipulates,
inter alia, as
follows:
(a) The United
Nations
Exhibits
Committee,
which is an
interdepartmental
body of the
Secretariat
chaired by the
Under
Secretary
General for
Communications
and Public
Information
[Cristina
Gallach] is
the standing
body that
reviews and
authorizes
such
exhibitions;
(b) Any
proposal
originating
from an NGO or
foundation
must be
accompanied by
a written
communication
of support
from a
Secretariat
department or
office, a
separately
administered
organ or
programme of
the United
Nations, an
organization
of the United
Nations system
or a permanent
or observer
mission to the
United
Nations;
(c) Exhibit
proposals
focusing on a
specific
individual, or
originating
from a single
artist, shall
not be
permitted;
(d) The
Exhibits
Committee may,
at its
discretion,
reject a
proposal for
an exhibit in
part or in its
entirety, or
require the
elimination or
alteration of
any part
thereof; and
(e) The
secretariat of
the Exhibits
Committee
shall inform
the Assistant
Secretary
General,
Office of
Central
Support
Services, of
the
authorization
granted for a
proposed
exhibit.39.
OIOS noted
that the
exhibition
held of 30
June 2015 was
not in
compliance
with these
provisions.
The Exhibits
Committee did
not authorize
the exhibition
because it did
not receive a
proposal in
accordance
with (b)
above. The
Chef de
Cabinet of the
Office of the
President of
the
sixty-ninth
session of the
General
Assembly
informed the
Exhibits
Committee of
the
President’s
decision to
host a series
of major
cultural
events, which
included an
exhibition,
reception, and
concert. The
Committee
informed the
Office of the
President that
the exhibition
was not in
accordance
with the
regulations
for exhibits
in publicly
accessible
areas at
Headquarters,
but the Office
of the
President
decided to
proceed with
the exhibition
anyway.
Therefore, the
Exhibits
Committee did
not accept,
reject or
alter the
“proposal”.
40. OIOS notes
that the
Exhibits
Committee only
had an
advisory role
in the matter,
and in the
circumstances
described, it
could not have
possibly
prevented the
staging of the
event.
However,
considering
that the
exhibition was
attended by
the
Secretary-General
and other
senior
Secretariat
staff despite
its
non-compliance
with the
Secretary-General’s
bulletin on
exhibits, the
perception
that the NGO
was given
preferential
treatment or
favour (that
too without
performing any
due diligence
checks) could
have an
adverse impact
on the
Organization’s
reputation.
This risk is
aggravated by
the
allegations in
the criminal
complaint
against Sun
Kian Ip group,
with whom this
NGO is
affiliated."
While Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric has
said this
audit will not
be made public
until April
22, on April 6
as a
full text
exclusive
Inner City
Press
published the
audit while
noting
affiliates the
UN audit
omitted, and
portions of
the audit that
some involved
seem to be
trying to
cover up,
including not
only as to the
Department of
Public
Information,
but also the
Global Compact
and other
back-doors
into the UN,
including but
not limited to
"Friends of
the UN."
Beyond
the Under
Secretary
General of the
Department of
Public
Information's
responsibility
for exhibits
in the
Visitor's
Lobby such as
the one
indicted Sheri
Yan's Global
Sustainability
Foundation
held on June
30, 2015, she
was also in
charge when
GSF was
allowed,
without any
due diligence,
to on March
25, 2015
sponsor an
event entitled
"Unveiling of
the 'Ark of
Return'
Permanent
Memorial."
Audit at
Paragraph 20
(b).
Inner
City Press asked
the UN about
DPI's
engagement
with the
Global
Sustainability
Foundation
around the Ark
of Return in October
2015. To
be diplomatic,
this should
have led to /
required a
recusal.
DPI, the audit
says, was
"associated"
with Ng Lap
Seng's and
Frank Liu's
World Harmony
Foundation
through
something
called the
"Friends of
the UN" based
in Los Angeles
/ Santa
Monica. We'll
have more on
this.
As
Inner City
Press
demonstrated
even before
publishing the
audit, the
Global Compact
as of April
2016 lists
Ng's World
Harmony
Foundation as
a member,
despite the
October 2015
indictments.
Now we
note that the
Global
Compact,
represented at
Ng's Macau
event in
August 2015,
has a
representative
who because
not a UN staff
member kept
the iPad Ng's
Sun Kian Ip
foundation
gifted. What
kind of "anti
corruption" UN
Global Compact
is this?
On April 11,
after
publishing the
above, Inner
City Press
asked Ban
Ki-moon's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
it, and when
Ban will
answer
questions. Video here, UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press:
onthis OIOS
inquiry, I
want to ask
you
something.
One of the
entities
controlled by
Mr. Ng Lap
Seng is World
Harmony
Foundation.
I don’t know
if it was you
or Farhan
[Haq] last
week that said
it’s still a
member of the
Global
Compact, but
it also seems
to partner
with DPI
(Department of
Public
Information)
is associated
through
something
called Friends
of the United
Nations, which
seems to be
based in Santa
Monica,
California.
It’s a little
unclear.
Can you say,
is this one of
the ground
balls that you
guys are going
to be running
down, in terms
of what other
groups enter
through that
way?
Also, what
explains World
Harmony
Foundation six
months after
the indictment
still being
part of the
Global
Compact?
And one other
Global Compact
question.
The audit
specifically
says that, of
the iPads
given out at
the Macau
event in
August, the
representative
of the Global
Compact has
not returned
it, said that
he’s not going
to return
it. He’s
not a staff
member and
he’s keeping
it. It’s
right in the
audit.
And so I
wanted to
know, since
the Global
Compact said
it’s about
transparency,
anticorruption,
is this
okay?
And why isn’t
he a staff
member if he’s
representing
the Global
Compact?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I don’t
know.
That’s a
question you
should… in
terms of World
Harmony,
whether or not
they’re still
a member, is a
question you
can ask of the
Global
Compact.
Obviously, as
we said, the
audit is an
initial step,
and other
issues are
being pursued.
Inner City
Press:
But are they
going… I mean,
I guess Global
Compact, UNDP
(United
Nations
Development
Programme),
are they going
to hold a
press
conference?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
You should ask
them.
They have
press people,
like the
Secretariat,
and they’re
there to
answer
questions.
Inner City
Press:
And the
Secretary-General,
you said he’ll
be in the room
tomorrow, but
he won’t
speak.
Looking at the
list of press
conferences,
it seems like
the last one
was December
of last year…
Spokesman:
He will have…
there will be
some sort of a
press
conference…
there will be
a press
conference,
probably on
Friday, tied
to the climate
event.
Inner City
Press: this
OIOS [Office
of Internal
Oversight
Services]
audit, I
obtained it,
published it
and I want to
ask just for
today, two
specific
questions
about
it. One
is, it talks
about funds
going to this
thing called
UNPAN, which
I've heard of,
but it seems
to be pretty
obscure.
And in looking
at its
website, it
claims to be
publishing
articles they
say were
published in
December 2016,
which hasn't
actually
occurred
yet. So,
there's
something a
little… What's
been done on
the
recommendations
as to… to
UNPAN and the
use of its
name by the
entities that
were
audited....
Spokesman:
The recommend…
the audit, I
think, as all
of you have
seen now,
includes
recommendations
and includes
the status of
those
recommendations,
and we're
following
through with
them.
Inner City
Press: I'd
asked Farhan
[Haq]
yesterday
about the 30
June 2015
event in the
Visitor's
Lobby, which
has a section
of the whole
audit about
DPI
[Department of
Public
Information]
being in
charge of it,
not doing
it. I
want to ask
you about
another event,
which was 25
March, this
unveiling of
the Ark of
Return permit
memorial,
which they
said was no
due diligence
done of the
Global
Sustainability
Foundation.
It seems like,
in this audit,
they make
these two
findings about
DPI, these two
events, but
it's only
looking at it,
I guess,
institutionally.
As I've asked
you, when
Global
Sustainability
Foundation was
founded in
this building,
a senior
adviser of the
Secretary-General
and his spouse
were present…
Spokesman:
I mean, I
think…
Inner City
Press:
Does this
audit look at
individuals or
only
entities…?
Spokesman:
The audit
looks at…
looked at the
systems.
When there are
issues related
to
individuals,
further
investigations
are being
done.
Inner City
Press:
Right.
But, it seems
like they only
mention the
individuals
that were in
the criminal
complaint.
There was
nothing…
Spokesman:
You know, the
audit… I think
the audit
speaks for
itself and
outlines how
we're
following up
with it.
There is
a need for
follow up.
The
audit cites
Ng's
Interntional
Organization
for South
South
Cooperation's
engagements
with, or
capture of,
the UN agency
UNPAN, the UN
Public
Administration
Network. A
visit on April
8, 2016 to UNPAN's
website
finds them
featuring
articles they
say were
publishd in
December 2016
- that is, in
the future.
Ironically,
the article(s)
address the
topic of
corruption.
That is
today's UN.
The audit for
example does
purport to
cover South
South News,
but not the
big money
South South
Awards held in
September 2015
at the Waldorf
Astoria
including the
Under
Secretary
General of the
Department of
Public
Information
(DPI) Cristina
Gallach.
(Inner City
Press in
October 2015
questioned Ms.
Gallach about
her
participation
in the South
South Awards,
video
here. On
February 19,
2016 Gallach
ordered Inner
City Press to
leave its long
time office
and stripped
its Resident
Correspondent
accreditation,
without once
speaking to
it. This is
the subject of
an April
5 letter to
Ban Ki-moon
from the
Government
Accountability
Project,
demanding that
this “crude
and heavy
handed”
retaliation be
reversed,
watch this
site.)
On April
7, Inner City
Press asked UN
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq a
first round of
questions
about some of
the
limitations of
the audio, video here,
Inner City
Press: I've
now obtained
and published
this OIOS
audit of
selected NGOs
and related
entity that
you said will
come out on 22
April.
And there's
different
things I want
to ask you
about it, but
main thing I
want to ask
about is,
there's an
entire section
that runs from
paragraph 37
through
paragraph 40
that it's
about an
exhibit they
say was
improperly
held in the
Visitor's
Lobby on 30
June
2015.
And it goes
through a lot
of detail, and
it says that
the
Under-Secretary-General
of the
Department of
Public
Information is
in charge of
the exhibits
committee and,
I guess, in
charge of the
space.
And somehow,
this exhibit
was held in
violation of a
number of the
rules that
apply to
it. What
I'm wondering
is, what is
the
response?
Obviously, it
seems like you
guys have had
access to this
audit even
before it was
sent to Member
States.
What is the
thinking… the
way they walk
through it is
they say… it
seems strange.
If she's in
charge of the
space and the
exhibit took
place without
complying with
the rules,
what is the
response to
her
responsibility
for
that?
And what steps
have been
taken?
The audit
doesn't say
that any steps
have yet been
taken to
address that.
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq:
Well, with
regard to the
specific cases
referred to in
the audit,
actions being
taken to
determine
responsibility
and any
follow-up and
any measures
that may be
deemed
appropriate.
And so, we'll
continue to
study that.
Inner City
Press:
And who
decides? In
getting the
audit, there
obviously is a
long section
about
South-South
News, but I
noticed that a
related entity
of which
there's been a
lot of
coverage is
South-South
Awards.
And it's
unclear, it's
not mentioned
once in
here.
And this is
something
that… I mean,
the
Secretary-General
received the
South-South
Award.
This is an
entity that's
absolutely
connected to
Ng Lap Seng
and Frank
Lorenzo et
al. So,
the question
is, who… maybe
that's OIOS,
but who
decided on the
scope of this
audit, the
date that it
would start, 1
January 2012,
and the
exclusion of…
of… one of the
things that
people
covering this
scandal have
focused on are
these glitzy
events in the
Waldorf.
The
Under-Secretary-General
of DPI did
attend in
September, but
prior to that,
Ms. [Susana]
Malcorra took
an award for
Ban
[Ki-moon].
Why is this
not in the
audit?
And will there
be an audit of
South-South
Awards going
forward?
Deputy
Spokesman
Haq: I
think the
audit is what
it is.
It's prepared
by the
professional
people in the
Office of
Internal
Oversight who
deal with
audits.
And you can
evaluate the
results for
yourself.
Inner City
Press:
And just one
other thing I
wanted to ask
about, because
I know I'd
asked Stéphane
[Dujarric] and
you, going
back to
October, about
the inclusion
of South-South
News content
in UN
Television
archives.
And,
eventually,
you came back
with this
answer that it
was due to
Habitat.
And I just…
I've pointed
out to you
that there's a
number of
things that
have nothing
to do with
Habitat, a
number of
inclusions
that you just
search UNTV
for
"South-South
News".
But, I do
notice in this
audit that
there is a
reference to
South-South
News and
Habitat.
So, I wanted
to know, was
this finding
that you said
of people
looking into
how it got in
there, was it
basically just
taken from
reading the
audit, or was
there a… a… a…
an analysis,
either by your
office or DPI,
of how the
many other
inclusions of
South-South
News and UNTV
archives took
place?
Deputy
Spokesman:
No, our office
had checked
with
DPI.
That was prior
to us knowing
about the
results of the
audit.
Similarly,
using timing
as a basis of
omission, by
stopping the
audit at
January 1,
2012, OIOS did
not address
the issue of
Ng's South
South News
getting a
photo op
directly with
Ban Ki-moon in
December 2011
at the UN
Correspondents
Association
ball at
Cipriani's
42nd Street
after giving
money to UNCA
including for
a two page ad
spread in
UNCA's “ball
book.”
While
Dujarric's
deputy Farhan
Haq allowed
four UNCA
board members
from Reuters,
France 24 and
Agence France
Presse to seek
to rebut this
including by
directly
addressing
Inner City
Press in the
noon briefing
on April 6,
the cut-off at
January 1,
2012 is
problematic,
especially as
related to Ban
Ki-moon
himself.
The
audit goes out
of its way to
say that Ban's
Executive
Office of the
Secretary
General did
not know when
a letter to it
was modified
to add the
name of Ng's
firm and of
South South
News. How is
that possible?
And again, why
was Ban's
direct dealing
with Ng cut
out from the
audit by a
matter of
days?
Many of the
irregularities
in the audit
are things
first reported
by Inner City
Press, such
as Yan's
Global
Sustainability
Foundation
funding the
UN's slavery
memorial,
including an
engagement
with Gallach's
DPI which even
the audit
criticizes
while DPI
tries to deny.
Undeniable is
that Gallach
chaired the UN
Exhibits
Committee
which allowed
the bogus
“Transformative
Power of Art”
exhibit on
June 30, 2015.
How does
Gallach's no
due process
ouster of
Inner City
Press on
February 19,
2016, when
Inner City
Press was
thrown into
the street and
its laptop on
the sidewalk
by eight UN
guards, look
now that the
audit is out?
Even with the
audit
inexplicably
omitting the
South South
Awards -- Ban
Ki-moon got
one of the
awards -- the
audit chides
DPI for lack
of due
diligence for
its slavery
event, and
Gallach as
chair of the
Exhibit
Committee
which allowed
the Jun 30,
2015
“Transformative
Power of Art”
exhibit.
"The
Government
Accountability
Project
complained
about Lee's
fallout in a
Feb. 26 letter
to the U.S.
Permanent
Mission of the
United
Nations.
'The action
targeted
Matthew Lee
alone, and
appears to be
retaliatory in
response to
independent,
critical
journalism,'
wrote Beatrice
Edwards, the
project's
international
program
director.
UNCA, the
group whose
meeting Lee
got in trouble
for recording,
has denied the
appearance of
unfairness.
'UNCA stands
for press
freedom and
vehemently
defends rights
of journalists
at the UN and
around the
world,' the
statement
says."
Really?
Where? It was
the Free UN
Coalition for
Access asking
this month
about the UN
requiring
minders, not
only in UN
Headquarters
but also in
South Sudan.
The Courthouse
News
continues:
"Lee blasted
what he
described as
'post-hoc'
justifications
for his
ouster, which
he compared to
a Franz Kafka
novel.
'Initially,
they tried to
say that I
secretly
filmed a
closed
meeting,' he
said.
'That's fallen
apart because
the meeting
wasn't
recorded as
closed.' Lee
laughed off
allegations
that he
entered a
restricted
area to
secretly film
the meeting,
which he
broadcast via
a popular
web-casting
platform.
'It's hard to
say that a
Periscope
live-streaming
with my arms
up is secret,'
he said.
By downgrading
his
residential
correspondent
credentials to
a second-tier
status, the
U.N. has
restricted
Lee's freedom
of movement,
forced him to
be chaperoned
by a minder."
That's
right, a UN
minder
courtesy of UN
Communications
chief Cristina
Gallach and
ultimately,
Ban Ki-moon.
In terms of
violations,
and cover up,
see Paragraphs
37 through 40
of the OIOS
audit.
Inner City
Press on April
5 asked if
Ng's World
Harmony
Foundation is
still part of
the UN Global
Compact;
deputy
spokesperson
Haq said he
would check
but never came
back with an
answer. On
April 6 Inner
City Press
asked again
and Haq said
yes - now we
see it is
confirmed and
criticized in
the audit.
Worse while
Inner City
Press from
October 2015
on asked
Dujarric and
Haq how South
South News got
its content in
the UNTV
archives run
by Gallach's
DPI, Haq
belatedly
mentioned only
one use,
connected to
HABITAT. Now
we see the
HABITAT -
South South
News
interaction is
listed in the
audit, which
it seems Haq
consulted
before
answering (and
whatever else
he did with
the audit).
But why
didn't OIOS
look into
South South
News' OTHER
inclusions in
DPI's archives
of UNTV? Watch
this site.
Another
question, now
more poignant
with the full
audit online,
is why the
wire services
reporters from
Reuters and
Agence France
Presse, on the
Executive
Committee of
the UN
Correspondents
Association
which took
Ng's South
South News'
money and then
gave Ng a
photo op with
Ban Ki-moon,
didn't even
MENTION that
DPI, their
partner in
censorship,
was listed and
criticized in
the audit.
Not only
the South
South Awards,
but the the
Gallach-approved
bogus
exhibition
criticized in
detail in the
audit is
nowhere in
their reports.
Hence the
April 6 threat
and April 6
noon briefing,
video here.
We'll have
more on this
, 
