In Other Media-eg New Statesman, AJE, FP, Georgia, NYT,  Azerbaijan, CSM Click here to contact us     .

By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Podcast

SDNY COURTHOUSE, March 16 – Francis Lorenzo used his position as UN Ambassador for the Dominican Republic to take and pay bribes for a Macau "UN South South Development Conference Center proposed by  Ng Lap Seng - who on March 15 was granted release from prison.
 
 Judge Broderick, ten days after giving time served to co-defendant Heidi Piao, granted Ng's request for release, citing COVID in Allenwood environs.

Now on March 16, the US has asked for reconsideration and a stay - and got it - arguing: "In the Order, the Court stated: “The Government notes that [the Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”)] has begun vaccinating federal prisoners, including those at Defendant’s facility, (Doc. 981, at 3), but does not provide any timeline for when, or if, Defendant might be vaccinated or whether or not his vaccination might be delayed because of his immigration status.” Order at 8-9. This morning, in connection with the Government advising the BOP of the Order, the Government was informed by the BOP that the defendant declined to be vaccinated against COVID-19 on February 9, 2021, thereafter changed his mind and received his first dose of the Moderna vaccine on February 24, 2021, and is scheduled to receive his second dose next week. Records documenting the defendant’s refusal and subsequent vaccination are enclosed.1 1 The Government did not learn this information until this morning."

The defense fired back on the evening of March 16, with a text message from Ng's daughter to Judge Broderick and the statement that Ng is ready to take a private charter flight back to China. We'll have more on this.

   Lorenzo was given a sentence of time served, which was twenty days in detention, by U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Vernon S. Broderick.

     It was what the US Attorney's Office essentially recommended, calling Lorenzo a model cooperating witness. This despite acknowledging that Lorenzo had to "re-plead" guilty when it emerged he had not disclosed his receipt of bribes.   Assistant US Attorney Douglas S. Zolkind at sentencing praised Lorenzo for example for always appearing in a three-piece suit.

  It then emerged that this same prosecution team asked for yet another six months delay in sentencing another briber in the case, Heidi Hong Piao.

 On March 5, Judge Broderick held the sentencing, and gave Heidi Piao "time served," with a reference to her being subjected to ridicule. Inner City Press live tweeted it, here:

Judge Broderick: The offense involves more than two bribes, and over $550,000. And it involves a high level official. 18 USC 1956, so two more levels to 34, minus 3 for pleading guilty. Sentencing guideline: 108 to 135 months imprisonment.

Judge Broderick: The government is giving a 5K1.1 letter (cooperator), and Ms. Piao has cited her health and wants time served.

 AUSA Richenthal: Ms. Piao sent bribes and didn't report overseas bank accounts. But you sentenced Ms Yan, & she was more involved.  NOTE: UN is still as corrupt as ever, these soft sentences did not discourage anything - if anything, it emboldened  Antonio Guterres

Now Piao's lawyer is claiming that Piao cooperated a lot.   But she never testified at the Ng Lap Seng trial in SDNY, which Inner City Press covered every day. Velvet gloves for bribers of the UN is making the Organization more and more corrupt.

Judge Broderick: I did see that Ms. Piao filed the amended tax returns required by the cooperation agreement. Also FBAR. [FUBAR.]

Piao: I am sorry for the choices that I made. I apologize to my family. [Bribing the UN, of course, goes without saying.] Says, I will never be before any court again. [Hey, Guterres has his hand out - and sells more of the public trust than John Ashe did]

 Judge Broderick: You were integral to the bribery scheme.  You were not a puppet. Your family members have written letters on your behalf.  There has been damage to the UN, "One can only hope things have changed there." Banned Inner City Press: They have not.

 Judge Broderick: You also hurt the countries they represent, Antigua &, was it Uganda?

AUSA Richenthal: Francis Lorenzo is from the Dominican Republic. But the phone calls we've referenced were about Chad & the Foreign Minister of Uganda. Kutesa. Still in power.

Judge Broderick: Mr Lorenzo didn't go to jail but fell from grace, a significant position in his country. [He was a no-show deputy ambassador - and still goes into the UN, which has become ever more corrupt under  Antonio
Guterres ]

 Judge Broderick: Ms. Piao, you grew up in Beijing. Your father was sent away during the Cultural Revolution... You apparently offered to testify against Patrick Ho, about the voices. And I understand that John Ashe may have been considering a plea before he died

[Medical alarm goes off.] Judge Broderick: So you cooperated. You exposed yourself to ridicule from some folks who wouldn't understand what was going on [?] I'll take that into consideration. So I sentence you to time served.
[Sob]
Two years of supervised release.

Judge Broderick: I hope I never see you again, I don't think I will, it's a good thing.

AUSA Richenthal: The money has been paid by others - no restitution (billionaire Ng paid it), it's a null set.

 And that's it. Podcast here.

     Judge Broderick before giving Francis Lorenzo the time served sentence said there was a need for general deterrence. But neither he nor Zolkind even mentioned an after arising UN bribery case, for which Patrick Ho of CEFC China Energy was convicted by SDNY Judge Loretta A. Preska.    

Judge Broderick did impose two years of supervised release, and 250 hours of community service.

    Afterward Inner City Press sought to ask Lorenzo a question but was told by his lawyerBrian H. Bieber that Lorenzo would not answer questions.

    So Inner City Press asked Bieber how Lorenzo would do his community service and when Lorenzo last saw and communicated with Carlos Garcia, the former El Salvador ambassador shown in the trial before Judge Broderick to have helped launder money for Lorenzo.

  Bieber said he would ask Lorenzo, and perhaps get back to Inner City Press, which has reported and will continue to report on these cases. This case is US v. Lorenzo, 15-cr-706 (Broderick).

***

Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron.

Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com
SDNY Press Room 480, front cubicle
500 Pearl Street, NY NY 10007 USA

Mail: Box 20047, Dag Hammarskjold Station NY NY 10017

Reporter's mobile (and weekends): 718-716-3540

Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.

 Copyright 2006-2020 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com for