Audit
Shows UNDP
Paid 2 in
PGA's Office,
ICP Asks, $
Still Frozen,
UAE Fills In
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, June 8
--
While many try
to insulate
today's UN
from the open
corruption of
the recent
past of
President of
the General
Assembly John
Ashe, there is
continuity to
this UN
scandal. Some
of it is
through UNDP,
the UN
Development
Program, see
below.
Inner City
Press in
October 2015
repeatedly
raised that
Ashe's chief
of staff
Paulette A.
Bethel of the
Bahamas was
and is current
PGA Mogens
Lykketoft's
“Special
Adviser,
Coordination
and
Engagement,” at
the senior D2
level. The
response on
April 29 from
the UN was...
profanity. And
see New York
Times of May
14, here.
Since
Ban Ki-moon
and his
spokespeople
did nothing to
bring about
the UNOSSC
press
conference on
the scandal
that the
spokespeople
had promised,
Inner City
Press on June
7 went to a
rare
appearance in
the UN by
UNOSSC's
director Jorge
Chediek.
It was in
windowless
Conference
Room A in the
UN basement; a
handful of
speakers
described
projects about
bicycles and
match sticks,
rattan and
bamboo, and
praised
UNOSSC. Soon
the moderator
said, there
are only 12
minutes left,
I have some
formulated
questions.
Inner
City Press
raised its
hand, was
called on and
asked, “Since
you have not
held a press
conference
about the
scandal that
broke in
October 2015,
please at
least describe
which of the
audits
recommendations
you have in
fact
implemented.”
Inner City
Press was told
there was no
time but that
Mr. Chediek
would speak
with it
afterward. In
a few minutes
he said that
he is not
ready for a
press
conference.
The Ng Lap
Seng money, it
seems, is
still in the
UN's
possession -
though
“frozen,” he
said.
Questioned by
Inner City
Press he said
that UNOSSC
has another
partnership
going, with
the royal
family of the
UAE. Shades of
Bernardino
Leon.
The promised
press
conference
should be
held. We'll
have more on
this.
From
the June 3 UN
transcript:
Inner
City Press: I
know when the
UNDP audit
came out, it
was said from
here that the
UNDP (United
Nations
Development
Programme)
Office of
South-South
Cooperation
would hold a
press
conference on
it. Then
Stéphane said,
ask them about
it. I'm
asking you now
because I see
now in your
office the
director is
going to be
appearing in
Conference
Room A.
So there's
clearly not a
lack of
time. So
I'm wondering,
can your
office please…
given the
interest in
this
corruption
scandal in the
UN system
assert
whatever power
you have to
say it would
be a good
idea?
Deputy
Spokesman:
We've been in
touch with
them on this,
and we'll
continue to
try and
schedule that
as soon as we
can.
We'll
see. Back on
May 3 Inner
City Press
asked again,
and spokesman
Dujarric said
the delayed
UNDP audit was
now available.
While the most
recent audit
on UNDP's
website two
hours later
was still
about Kenya,
released April
16, Inner City
Press has
obtained and
for ease
put online the
UNDP audit,
here.
It says the
$1.5 million
given in May
2015 was
mis-accounted
for, seemingly
intentionally
so. “The
Chairman of
the donor was
charged by the
US Federal
authorities.
The donor risk
assessment...
was
ineffective.”
That's an
UNderstatement.
But UNDP still
has the money,
or at least
$1.1 million
of it. And
former UNDP-SS
Director
Yiping Zhou
doesn't return
UNDP's calls,
according to
the audit.
Meanwhile
UNDP's Helen
Clark has
taken off on a
trip
campaigning to
replace Ban
Ki-moon. Inner
City Press
asked Dujarric
who is paying,
and he said,
“Ask UNDP.”
Inner City
Press asked
for a UNDP
press
conference;
the date is
not yet clear.
There were
bogus
secondments to
UNOPS in order
to get
promotions;
the audit
mentions
“SS-GATE”
which Inner
City Press has
previously
covered, but
the audit does
not name
names.
Ng Lap Seng's
money was used
for
conferences
not only in
his native
Macau
($225,000) but
also in Dhaka
($122,000),
according to
the audit. The
audit team's
Googling found
the Ng Lap
Seng -
Clintons
connection,
but the
UNDP-South
South office
claimed it
didn't find
these, or any
other adverse
material.
Two UNDP-SS
contract
holders were,
in fact,
working in the
Office of the
President of
the General
Assembly.
On May
4, Inner City
Press asked UN
(and former
UNDP)
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
this audit and
follow-up. From the UN
transcript:
Inner
City Press: I
wanted to ask
you actually
about the UNDP
(United
Nations
Development
Program)
audit, it
seems like
this was
completed by
its own terms
in November,
like it was,
been completed
for a very
long time, so
what took so
long to
release
it? Have
the
recommendations,
which it said
it recommended
as to be done
in February
and March,
been
done?
And it also
mentions that
the UNDP
South-South
office was
paying, had
two
contractors
within the
Office of the
President of
the General
Assembly, it
doesn't say
whether it was
under John
Ashe or Sam
Kutesa, but
what I am
wondering is
it doesn't say
about
assigning
accountability.
Who in the UN
system is
going to find
out how it was
that UNDP
South-South
erroneously,
according to
the audit, was
paying people
in the…?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I think, you
know, the
mechanics of
the audit,
that is a
question for
UNDP Audit
Office or
South-South.
It's not what
I'm going to
get into
here. I
think the
audit
uncovered a
lot of issues
that had
occurred under
the previous
head of the
office.
And I know the
current head
of the office
is very much
focused on
implementing
the
recommendations
and most, a
lot of them…
some of them
have already
been
implemented.
Inner
City
Press:
It says that
the previous,
at least it
says right at
the beginning
of the audit
the previous
director, Mr.
Yiping,
didn't… Yiping
Zhou didn't
return the
phone call of
the
auditor.
So I'm
wondering in
the UN system,
when somebody
leaves with
this kind of a
mess and then
refuses to
even respond
to phone
calls, is
there any
repercussions,
or is he
basically…?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I think there
is a moral
responsibility,
but there is
no other
pressure
points for us.
Inner
City Press: on
the audit, not
the UNDP one
that has not
been released
but on the
OIOS UN audit
— of the seven
recommendations,
four of them
were to have
been
implemented
with
documentation
by 30 April
including the
assignment of
responsibility
for the
changing of
the document
by the
Secretariat’s
DGACM
(Department of
General
Assembly and
Conference
Management),
the acceptance
of gifts by
Secretariat
staff, I could
go through the
other two… So
I'm asking
you, have
these been
implemented
and, if so,
will the
documentation
be made public
in the spirit
of
transparency?
Spokesman:
I have no
doubt the
concerned
departments
have been
following up
with
OIOS. If
I have
something to
share, I will.
Inner
City Press:
just for a
simple
statement… if
the UN finds
that a UN-paid
staff member
in the office
of the PGA
(President of
the General
Assembly) in
fact
erroneously or
fraudulently
had an A visa,
a diplomat's
visa for
purposes of
immunity, what
does the UN
do?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
Matthew, I'm
not going to
go into
hypotheticals.
We expect all
UN staff
members to
abide by the
rules, and if
they don't,
there are
sanctions
according to
policy...
Inner
City Press: I
end up asking
you questions
that you
didn't ask
from
yesterday.
There were
four or three
that you said
you’d get
back.
This is the
third.
The third has
to do with is
the position
of the head of
UNIC (United
Nations
Information
Centre) in
Brussels, a D1
or D2
position, to
your
knowledge?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
To my
knowledge,
it's a D1
position.
Inner
City Press:
Right.
So what would
explain a
person leaving
a D2 position
in New York
for a D1
position in
Brussels?
Spokesman:
Because… You
know
what? I
don't want to
get into
personal
issues of
people, but
sometimes
people make
career
decisions
based on all
sorts of
different
things.
I'm sure you
do and I
do.
Thank you.
What the UN
did not
transcribe, and
in fact cut
from its
audio, was
Dujarric
saying,
"Matthew,
that's a
f*cking stupid
question." But
Vine
here.
We'll have
more on this.
Inner
City Press: This
is related to
the John Ashe
case.
When people
work in the
PGA's office
and they work
for the UN,
but they work
for the PGA's
office, are
they supposed
to have a G4
visa or an “A”
diplomat
visa?
There's a
reason I'm
asking
this.
Some people
are seconded,
and
supposedly,
they can have
then an A
visa, which
gives much
greater
immunity.
Some people
are paid by
the UN, and I
wanted to get
an answer from
you whether
G4…
Spokesman
Dujarric:
If they are UN
staff, then I
would assume
they're under
G4 visas…
Inner
City Press:
What happens
if… what if
somebody is a
UN staff that,
for some
reason, for
some erroneous
reason,
happened to
have an A
visa?
Would this
give them
immunity?
Spokesman:
I don't
know. I
don't know.
Dujarric did
not come back
with an
answer, but
should have.
Inner City
Press is
exclusively
informed that
the UN allowed
“visa games”
in the case of
John Ashe's
chief of staff
Paulette
Bethel, who is
now in the
Cabinet of
current PGA
Mogens
Lykketoft and
is being
lobbied to
continue, with
immunity, with
the *next* PGA
(more on that
in a separate
forthcoming
exclusive
story).
Bethel had
been an
Ambassador
with an “A”
diplomatic
visa, full
diplomatic
immunity. But
while working
for Ashe,
Ban's UN paid
her. Still she
arranged to
have an “A”
visa --
significant
given the
corruption in
which her
Office was
allegedly
involved in.
Now, the
sources tell
Inner City
Press, there
is a review of
how Ban
Ki-moon's UN
has allowed
for abuse of
the visa (and
immunity)
system. On
this, too, we
will have
more.
Back on
March 11, Inner
City Press reported
and asked
this:
By having her
position with
Lykketoft,
Paulette
Bethel
continues to
have immunity.
Ban Ki-moon
has not waived
it, despite
the portrait
painted of her
the John Ashe
indictment.
She “knows
where the
bodies are
buried,” as
the phrase has
it.
And perhaps
for that
reason, Inner
City Press is
multiply
informed that
Bethel is
lobbying for a
continued
immunity job
with the NEXT
President of
the General
Assembly,
whether from
Cyprus or
Fiji.
In fact, Inner
City Press is
informed, both
candidates to
succeed
Lykketoft as
PGA, Cyprus
and Fiji, was
lobbied to
keep Bethel on
-- as a D2,
with full
immunity -- if
they win the
job, and were
promised (the
same) votes if
they do.
Now,
Inner City Press is
informed
of new (March
11)
developments
regarding
Paulette
Bethel's
immunity
status.
For now, what
does this
mean? Well --
did Lykketoft
make the same
corrupt deal?
Why WOULD
Lykketoft,
claiming to be
so different
from John
Ashe, keep
Ashe's chief
of staff on
his team? Even
Banned from
the UN second
floor where
Lykketoft's
office -- used
to campaign
for Helle
Thorning-Schmidt,
as Inner City
Press
exclusively
covered --
we'll have
more on this.
Here.
On
March 11,
Inner City Press
asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric --
who among
other things has
refused to
answer on
lending UN
Press Briefing
Room, in which
indictee Frank
Lorenzo
appeared
without being
listed in the
Media Alert --
about this. Video
here UN transcript here:
Inner
City Press: I
want to return
to the
indictment of
John Ashe, I'd
asked you
before, but I
have more to
ask about it,
that the
previous Chief
of Staff of
John Ashe,
Paulette
Bethel, is
currently the
number three
official in
Mogens
Lykketoft's
office.
And as Chief
of Staff,
she's listed
throughout the
indictment and
charge sheet
in the John
Ashe case.
I've also
become aware
that there's
requests being
made to
potential new
PGAs
(Presidents of
the General
Assembly),
Cyprus and
Fiji, to
continue her
in the
employment as
a D-2 UN
official. If a
person is a UN
staff member
but works for
the PGA's
office, one,
what is the
status of
their immunity
from
prosecution
and
testifying?
And, two, who
can waive that
immunity?
Is it the
Secretary-General,
as with other
UN staff, or
is there some
special status
for a UN staff
member who
works for the
PGA's office?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
Look, speaking
not in
relation to
the particular
case that you
mentioned,
because her
employment and
the employment
of anybody in
the PGA's
office is up
to the PGA
itself, the
Secretary-General
has the
authority to
lift the
immunity of
any UN staff
member.
Inner City
Press:
Does it seem
strange to you
that someone
listed so
prominently in
the indictment
remains on the
UN payroll?
Can you
describe the
immunity that
that
obtains?
If, for
example, the
US Attorney's
Office wanted
to speak to a
Chief of Staff
who went to
Macau, who was
involved in
all of these
actions…
Spokesman:
I'm not going
to speak to… I
can't
speculate…
Inner City
Press:
D-2, D-2
generally.
Spokesman:
I can't
speculate to
the
case. I
don't… I'm not
privy to
anything that
the US
Attorney may
or may not be
doing.
What is clear
is that
anyone, as far
as I know,
under the rank
of Assistant
Secretary-General,
which would
include D-2s,
such as
myself,
carries
functional
immunity.
As a matter of
principle,
immunity is
not there to
block any
criminal
investigation.
Maggie?
Voice of
America:
Steph,
anything on
Mr. de
Mistura's
smaller
conversations
Yes,
smaller
conversations...
There is a
history, here.
After
being thrown
out of the UN
on two hours
notice by
Under
Secretary
General for DPI
Cristina
Gallach on
February 19,
on March 10 back in
on a "non
resident
correspondent"
"Green P"
pass, Inner
City Press was
ordered out of
the UN at 8
pm, here,
as it worked
on this story
-- here's
an Inner City
Press story on
Bethel and Ban
Ki-moon's
connection to
the scandal --
in the UN
Lobby.
UNder
this kind of
harassment,
intimidation
and attempted
censorship,
there is only
one approach:
publish,
publish,
publish. If
Bethel didn't
have the
immunity that
comes with a
UN D-2 post,
what might she
testify to?
Who could
waive her
immunity?
The new Free
UN Coalition
for Access
-- whose sign
USG Cristina "The
Censor"
Gallach
directed to be
torn down
after she
evicted Inner
City Press
from its
long-time
office --
seeks to open
the UN and
these
processes -
watch this
site.
, 
