UNDP
Asked
Corporations
for $100,000
to Sit With
PMs like
Skerrit of
Dominica
By Matthew
Russell Lee,
Exclusive
series
UNITED
NATIONS,
November 2 --
While the UN
has been
extensively
corrupted by
Ng Lap Seng
and his Sun
Kian Ip
Foundation and
South South
News and South
South Awards,
his proposed
Macau
convention
center and the
South South
event held in
Macau in late
August 2015
provide a
snapshot which
the UN still
has yet to
explain.
The UN
Development
Program,
rather than
provide to
Inner City
Press a copy
of the
document it
signed with Dominica
Prime Minister
Roosevelt
Skerrit,
instead took
its South
South office
website
off-line from
October 31
through
November 1 (photo
here).
This is called
a cover-up.
This
echoes the UN
Correspondents
Association's
pitch last
week for
$12,000 per
table for an
event on Wall
Street, in a
previous
version of
which UNCA
provided now
indicted Ng
Lap Seng -
entwined with
UNDP's SS-Gate
- with photo
ops with Ban
Ki-moon, and
later with
Roosevelt
Skerrit
the
Prime Minister
of Dominica.
(Ng's and
Skerrit's
connections go
back at least
to 2004,
probably 2002
in Barbados;
in BVI court
transcripts
involving
Skerrit, Ng is
referred to as
"Mister Wu,"
go figure.
We'll have
more on this.)
"Invitations
to hold
premium
positioned
promotional
booths at all
2014-2015
SS-GATE events
Be featured as
a key note
speaker at the
2014 GSSD
Expo, regional
partner
meetings, and
other events
Seating with
Heads of
State/UN
agency at
Meeting
Accommodate
customized
requests on an
ad-hoc basis
Wiring
instructions:
Bank Name:
JPMorgan Chase
Bank, N.A.
Bank Address:
1166 Avenue of
the Americas,
NY
Account Name:
UNDP
Contributions
Account
Account
Number:
015-002284
CHIPS ABA:
021-000021
SWIFT Code:
CHASUS33
Reference:
Fund 59010
South-South
Trust Fund
1 All
funds provided
to support
UNOSSC/SS-GATE
development
projects
relating to
the 2014 LDC
Conference
will be
deposited into
the
United Nations
Fund for
South-South
Cooperation
(UNFSSC)."
Here is UNCA's
current pitch:
"Dear
Ambassador,
The United
Nations
Correspondents
Association is
honored to
invite you to
participate
and contribute
to the 20th
annual UNCA
Awards event
with guest of
honor U.N.
Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon
and H.S.H.
Prince Albert
II of Monaco,
recipient of
the 2015
Global
Advocate of
the Year Award
for climate
change.
Exclusive
raffle prizes
include
business class
airline
tickets around
the world with
hotel
accommodations
and a grand
prize FIAT
500X car. As
your esteemed
presence will
ensure the
success of
this event, we
are pleased to
send you the
below
opportunities
to attend the
gala dinner:
Mission Table
Special Price
/ $6000
(half-table) 5
seats at VIP
table at the
gala event
Special
Ambassador
Contribution /
$2,000 -1 VIP
ticket for
Ambassador
with premium
seating to
dinner + 1
complimentary
VIP ticket for
spouse or
guest -Special
acknowledgement
of the
Ambassador and
the Mission in
the UNCA
Awards Journal
of the evening
-Additional
tickets for UN
Diplomats of
the Mission
can be
purchased at
the special
price of $750
each
Giampaolo
Pioli, UNCA
President
Please make
all checks
payable to
'UNCA Awards
Committee'
Contributions
to the UNCA
Awards
Committee are
tax
deductible.
The UNCA
Awards
Committee is a
501-c(3)"
What -
to sell photo
ops with Ban
Ki-moon to
businessness /
brothel owners
indicted for
corruption and
out on $50
million bail,
the same money
used to make
contributions
and then get
UNCA
"journalism"
awards?
These
UNCA prices,
though
elevated, are
less than what
UNCA took from
Ng Lap Seng's
vehicles.
Skerrit
as part of his
denial of
entanglement
with Ng Lap
Seng is
reported to
have said what
he signed with
Ng and UNDP in
Macau was only
the event's
"communique."
Skerrit
on video here.
On
November 2,
Inner City
Press again
asked UN (and
previous UNDP)
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric when
the Dominica -
NG - UNDP
document will
belatedly be
released.
Video here; UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: I'd
asked you, I
think, on
Thursday, and
you'd said
that you would
check, for…
whether UNDP…
how and when
it will make
available a
document that
it signed with
the Prime
Minister of
Dominica and
Mr. David
Ng. I
haven't even
received a
responsive
e-mail from
them, and
their website
was down the
whole weekend.
Spokesman:
I think… we
spoke to them
this
morning.
I will make
sure they get
back to
you. I
think the
website might
have been down
overnight.
If it was
down…
sometimes
websites do go
down.
But, I will
make sure they
get back to
you.
But, I can't
speak… I won't
speak for
them.
Inner City
Press:
It's not a
secret
document.
There was a
signing
ceremony.
I'm not really
sure of the
status of that
Macau
conference in
terms of the
UN.
There were
many UN
officials
there and
signed
documents.
Where are the
signed
documents?
Spokesman:
I can't speak
to… I can't
speak to how
that office
handles its…
Inner City
Press:
You were in
UNDP.
That's why I'm
asking.
Spokesman:
I was in a lot
of places. I
will…
Inner City
Press:
From the top
of the
organization,
is the idea
that the UN
will make
available such
documents?
Spokesman:
"When I have
more to get
back to you, I
will."
Hour later,
nothing.
Inner
City Press is
informed by
attendees that
when now
indicted
Lorenzo tried
to claim that
there was an
outcome
document,
diplomats like
that of Brazil
objected, that
none had been
negotiated. In
any event,
UNDP would
have no role
in signing an
outcome
document of a
multilateral
meeting of
member states.
Instead,
UNDP's
South-South
Global Assets
and Technology
Transfer
Exchange (SS
Gate office)
DID sign an
MOU "for the
establishment
of Silk Road
Chamber of
Commerce
together with
the
Philippines
Chamber of
Commerce,
Islamic
Chamber of
Commerce,
Bangladesh
Women Chamber
of Commerce,
Uganda Chamber
of Commerce at
the recent UN
High Level
Multi-
Stakeholders
Strategy Forum
in Macau,
China 25-26
August, 2015."
Click
here for
photo.
So how can
UNDP refuse
for days to
provide such
documents,
particularly
the one signed
with Dominca's
Skerrit and
Ng, and
instead take
its website
off-line?
On
October 26
Inner City
Press began to
focus on an
actual
snapshot from
the Macau
event,
included John
Ashe, Frank
Lorenzo and
the Prime
Minister of
Dominica,
Roosevelt
Skerrit, on
UNDP's
website. After
putting
questions in
writing to
UNDP, on
October 29
Inner City
Press asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric more
about it, video here, transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: you may
again say this
is subject to
an inquiry,
but I think
it's a...
various
documents were
signed at that
Macau
South-South
event in
August, and at
least as to
Dominica, the
document was
signed by a UN
official as
well. It
was a
tripartite
signing for
some
technology
centre.
So the
question is,
are these
documents that
the UN signed
with a
Government, a
now-indicted
essentially
Foundation and
the UN, can
those... are
those
documents
available?
Spokesman:
You know
what? I
can't answer
that, because
I don't know
exactly what
documents
you're talking
about.
Inner City
Press:
It's called a
tripartite
agreement for
technology
transfer
center in
Dominica.
"Skerrit
showed up in
Macau and on
August 26,
2015 signed a
Letter of
Commitment
with Lap Seng
under which
the Sun Kian
IP Group
Foundation
would fund the
establishment
of a
Technology
Transfer
Facility on
Dominica to
serve the
Caribbean and
Latin America.
The Letter of
Commitment was
also signed by
Ms. Teresa
Liu, Division
Chief at the
UN Office on
South-South
Cooperation."
That
office, in
UNDP, has
refused
multiple Inner
City Press
requests
publicly
answer
questions.
What is the
document that
UNDP
co-signed? Who
paid UNDP (and
UN) staff
members costs
in Macau?
As to
Dominica: Why
didn't Skerrit
say he was
going to
Macau? Does he
have an
armored
Mercedes Benz
and if so, who
paid for it?
Have the
prosecutors in
the US asked
to speak with
him? Yet?
We'll have yet
more on this -
and on
Dominica's
granting of
diplomatic
passports,
and immunity,
to
non-nationals
- includign Ng
Lap Seng, as
emerged in his
bail hearing.
Last
week deputy UN
spokesperson
Farhan Haq
told Inner
City Press
UNDP would
answer about
UN Secretariat
staff's travel
to Macau, but
that hasn't
happened.
Murky
dealing in
Ban's UN have
stretch back
some time.
Beyond Frank
Liu and his
sponsorship of
UN
Peacekeeping
day, for
example, there
was Paulo
Zampolli,
reported on
here by
Inner City
Press using a
UN-like logo.
Tying these
together,
Zampolli went
out to receive
a diplomatic
position, and
immunity, from
Dominica. Yet
Ban's UN says
it knows
nothing of
this, that the
only problem
is with the
Office of the
President of
the General
Assembly.
We'll have
more on this.
On October 23,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon about
it and he said
he has set up
a "small task
force" under
his chief of
staff Susana
Malcorra. Video here; transcript
below.
But the
most cursory
research finds
that Malcorra
accepted one
of Ng's South
South Awards
in 2014 for
Ban Ki-moon. Video here.
With all due
respect, how
can she be in
charge of
reviewing how
Ng penetrated
the UN?
Inner City
Press put this
question to
Ban's
spokesman
Stephen
Dujarric on
October 26. Transcript here.
Where are Ng's
iPads? We'll
have more on
this.
From the UN's
October 23
transcript:
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
about what has
been called
the John Ashe
case -- what
do you
conclude from
what has come
out so far on
how it
penetrated the
UN and what
type of
reforms do you
think are
needed?
Thank you.
SG Ban
Ki-moon:
"About this
former PGA
(President of
the General
Assembly) John
Ashe's case, I
was really
shocked and
very concerned
to learn of
this serious
allegation
against John
Ashe, which
goes to the
heart of the
work of the
United Nations
and its Member
States.
I have made it
quite clear
all the times
that the
United
Nation's staff
or leadership
should work
with the
highest level
of integrity
and ethical
standard.
That is why I
have made this
one of the top
priorities,
and I have
asked OIOS
(Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services) to
have a
thorough
investigation
and I have
established a
small task
force led by
my Chief of
Staff, Susana
Malcorra, to
draw out some
means and
measures --
how we can
make more
transparent
and
accountable
measures,
particularly
on the case of
President of
General
Assembly,
Office of the
President of
General
Assembly.
We have all of
the discussion
of this matter
with President
[Mogens]
Lykketoft, the
current
PGA. He
fully supports
what I'm going
to do, with
all this
investigation
by OIOS and
with our own
internal
discussions to
draw up some
measures to
improve the
conduct of the
Office of the
PGA. And
if necessary,
I'm going to
recommend to
the General
Assembly to
take some
legislation,
so that the
United
Nations,
whether it is
the Member
States’ side
or the staff,
Secretariat
side, we all
have a
responsibility
and duty to
conduct our
duties [in] a
transparent
and
accountable
[way], with
the highest
integrity and
ethics."
Alongside
this, Ban
Ki-moon's UN
Secretariat is
again
referring
questions
about itself
to UNDP.
On
October 22
Inner City
Press published the invitation letter to the Macau conference,
here,
which notably
said that “all
local expenses
will be
covered by the
host.”
Attendees tell
Inner City
Press that
those present
were given
iPads with the
name of Ng's
company
emblazoned on
them: where
have these
gone?
While there
were many
attendees,
over 170,
those from Ban
Ki-moon's
Secretariat,
some of them
mis-described,
standout. So
too does the
UN
Correspondents
Association's
Vice
President, the
same
correspondent
who took the
first set-aside
question to
Hillary
Clinton
during her
“email-gate”
stakeout in
front of the
UN Security
Council, and
asks if
questions
about the
private server
were only
being pursued
because she's
a woman. (Ng's
previous
interaction
with the
Clintons is
well-documented.)
Given
that UNCA's
Presideng
Giampaolo
Pioli accepted
funds from
Ng's South
South News,
which was then
given an UNCA
award while Ng
got a photo op
with Ban
Ki-moon at
UNCA's Award
Dinner at
Cipiani on
42nd Street,
the question
arises: what
was UNCA's
Vice President
doing on the
attendee list
at Ng's Macau
confab in
August 2015?
We'll have
more on this.
On
October 22,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about the UN
Secretariat
staff who
traveled to
Macau - and
was told,
paradoxically,
that (only)
UNDP could or
would answer.
UN
transcript
here.
As the scandal
unveiled in
the corruption
charges
against former
UN General
Assembly
President John
Ashe, Ng Lap
Seng, Francis
Lorenzo of
South South
News and
others
continues to
expand, the
compromised
position of
the UN
Correspondents
Association
has come to
the fore.
In 2011
until now,
Inner City
Press has
exposed UNCA
for taking
funds from Ng
Lap Seng
vehicles, to
which it gave
awards, and
arranging Ng
Lap Seng photo
op(s) with UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon. UNCA
has not
provided any
explanation;
the UN through
Ban's
spokesman has
said for
example that
many people
get
photographs
with Ban. But
people like Ng
previously
found in US
Senate reports
to have made
irregular
campaign
contributions,
and co-owning
hotels links
to
prostitution?
On
October 20,
Inner City
Press asked UN
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq
about Ng, and
about how much
money the
Global
Sustainability
Foundation
gave for the
UN's “Ark of
Return” (anti)
slavery
memorial. Haq
wouldn't give
the dollar
figure - it's
at least
$60,000 -- and
seemed to says
it doesn't
matter where
the UN takes
money from,
only how the
UN uses it. Video here.
Inner City
Press:
Okay. I
want to ask
you another
question.
Mr. Ng Lap
Seng, who's
now out on $50
million bail,
it seemed he
sort of
penetrated the
UN system,
including
several photo
ops with Ban
Ki-moon
against a blue
background in
Cipriani's, I
wanted to ask
you, a major
financial
newspaper,
just on
cursory
research, said
he's a
co-owner of
the Fortuna
Hotel, which
has… quote,
this is all
from their
promotional
material,
table dancing
by strippers,
boasted
attractive and
attentive
hostesses from
China,
Singapore and
Korea, and
erotic girls
from Europe
and
Russia.
And I wanted
to know,
given, given
everything
that's said
from this
podium about
UN Women and
the need to
take these
issues
seriously, how
is it
possible… how
is it possible
that this, an
individual
engaged in
these
activities,
came… came to
such a
position of
prominence
and, and, and
closeness to
the
Secretary-General?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Matthew, we do
not speak for
David Ng Lap
Seng or his
group or his
business
holdings.
Any questions
on that have
to go to his
organizations.
The United
Nations does
not deal with
any of the, of
the entities,
with entities
like the ones
that you've
described.
Inner City
Press:
The money from
it was donated
to various UN
causes.
That’s why I'm
asking you to
respond to
this pending,
this unending
audit, what do
you think of
this?
Deputy
Spokesman:
"The nature of
corporations
is that any
corporation
can have many,
many different
holdings.
I'm not going
to comment on
all of the
holdings of
different
groups,
depending upon
what they do
with the
UN. What
we're trying
to monitor is
how the funds
from these
groups
affected the
UN and the
dealings with
the two
entities that
we've been
talking
about.
That's being
audited, and
we'll follow
up on
that.
But the
group's
activities as
a whole,
that's an
issue for
other
authorities.
It's not…It's
not an issue
for the United
Nations."
Background: Ng
Lap Seng was
found to have
brought the
same bags of
cash later
deployed at
the UN into
the US
earlier, in
the late 90s,
when his
Fortuna hotel
was linked to
organized
crime and even
human
trafficking.
From the WSJ:
“Who is Ng Lap
Seng, and what
did he want?
According to
several
well-informed
sources in
Hong Kong and
Macau, Mr. Ng
is a
mysterious
figure with
extensive
business in
China, where
he also held a
minor post as
a member of
the Chinese
People's
Political
Consultative
Conference in
his hometown
of Nan Hai in
Guangdong
province. In
Macau, his
most visible
interest is
his ownership
of the Fortuna
Hotel, a
garish
high-rise in
the gambling
district,
featuring a
20,000-square-foot
nightclub with
'table
dancing' by
strippers, as
well as a
massage parlor
and, according
to its
brochure,
'over 30
independent
karaoke rooms,
all
luxuriously
decorated with
the most
advanced sound
system for any
one interested
in performing
his favorite
songs.' The
brochure also
boasts
'attractive
and attentive
hostesses from
China, Korea,
Singapore,
Malaysia,
Vietnam,
Indonesia and
Burma together
with erotic
girls from
Europe and
Russia,
certainly
offer you an
exciting and
unforgettable
evening with
friends or
business
associates.'”
So what does
UN Women,
which has
still to
comment on UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous
linking rapes
to “R&R,”
same about
Ban's UN
(through UNCA)
accepting
“pimp and
trafficker” Ng
Lap Seng into
the UN, and
into UNCA's
Cipriani ball
for photos
with Ban and
his spouse?
We'll have
more on this.
Just as
UNCA "leaders"
from Voice
of America
and Reuters
(censorship
bid here)
tried to use
the UN to get
the
investigative
Press out, now
the UN
responds to
questions
about UNCA
selling
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon photo
ops to Ng Lap
Seng by
suggesting
that the
questioner,
because
present,
"condoned" the
sale.
Even
then in
December 2011,
Inner City
Press'
accompanying
story reported
that it
"filmed what
it could of
the photo op
-- those
arranging it
kept telling
the Press it
had to leave
-- and
afterward
several in
Ban's circle
said they had
no idea who
the
businessmen
had been.
There was dark
talk about one
David Ng, a
businessman
who has
bankrolled
'vanity' media
projects given
awards that
night --
people funded
by Ng used the
word "vanity,"
so we use it
here."
Inner
City Press
published that
in December
2011 about Ng
and South
South News; it
quit UNCA and
with another
Executive
Committee
member who
quit in
disgust
co-founded
FUNCA, the
Free UN
Coalition for
Access. UNCA
continued
taking funds
from South
South News.
We'll have
more on this.
While UNCA
does not
represent all
journalists
accredited to
cover the UN
-- Inner City
Press for
example quit
the group in
2012 with
another
Executive
Committee
member and
co-founded the
new Free
UN Coalition
for Access
-- the UN
gives it a
privileged
position, a
large
clubhouse on
the third
floor of the
UN and,
automatically,
the first
question at
press
conferences.
But is
that
appropriate,
given that
UNCA received
money from
South South
News, “NGO 1”
in the
filing
against Ashe?
Not only did
UNCA receive
money from
South South
News: it gave
the group an
“UNCA award”
at a ceremony
at the
high-ceilinged
Cipriani's
restaurant on
December 15,
2011.
Inner
City Press,
which did not
quit UNCA in
fully ripened
disgust in
2012, was
present in
December 2011
and witnessed,
when Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon came
into
Cipriani's,
him being
shepherded
into a side
room for
photographs
with Asian men
in business
suits who
Inner City
Press did not
then recognize
-- but now
does.
UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, when
Inner City
Press asked on
October 13
about what it
had seen, said
perhaps Inner
City Press had
"condoned" it.
Video
here. But
Inner City
Press quit
UNCA after finding
conflicts of
interest in it,
and being
"ordered" to
not report on
this.
From the October
13 transcript:
Inner City
Press: I want
to ask
inevitably
about the
revelations
about Mr.
[John] Ashe
and Frank
Lorenzo and
others.
And just as
you… as the
lead
Spokesman, a
person that
travels around
with the
Secretary-General,
how… what
would you say
to the photos
that exist of
the
Secretary-General
with David Ng,
who was since
indicted, and
Frank Lorenzo
and,
particularly,
in instances
where it
appears that
groups that
receive
contributions
from the two
and then put
them in a room
to have
photographs
with the
Secretary-General?
Is this
something
that… how does
the
Secretary-General
view this in
retrospect,
and what's
going to be
done in the
future?
Spokesman:
First of all,
a photo of the
Secretary-General
with any
individual
should in no
way be
interpreted as
a sponsorship
or
agreement.
It's just a
photo.
The
Secretary-General
is very much a
public figure,
attends a lot
of public
events where
there are a
lot of
people.
Sometimes
people come up
to him and ask
to have their
photo
taken.
And it's done
within the…
within,
obviously, the
security
constraints
that need to
be had.
I think
whether it's
the
Secretary-General
of the United
Nations or
anyone in
leadership
position, you
will find when
you travel
with them that
a lot of
people want to
have their
photo taken
with
them.
Inasmuch as
that is… we
try to control
that,
sometimes it's
difficult to
do so. I
think the
Secretary-General
is as shocked
as anyone in
this building
at the charges
that were
levelled at
these two
individuals.
And he's very
disappointed
at the
accusations
towards the
United
Nations.
Inner City
Press:
obviously, to
business
interests
having an
actual kind of
formal
handshaking
one, I guess
I'll just say
that that is
worth
something to
them.
That's why
they…
Spokesman:
I'm not… I'm
not debating
that point…
[cross
talk]
I'm just
saying that
having a
picture of the
Secretary-General
with any
individual
should in no
way be seen as
a sponsorship,
approval,
making them
BFF's or
anything.
Inner City
Press: I
guess I just
want to be
more
specific.
If an event…
and there's
one that
actually, as
it turns out,
I witnessed in
Cipriani.
If the
Secretary-General
enters a large
space and is
then taken to
a smaller
space for such
photographs,
what's the
basis for
that, as
opposed to
people with
selfies?
I mean, I
understand
what you're
saying…
Spokesman:
"I
think, you
know, if you
were there,
then maybe you
condoned the
event as
well.
The issue is
the
Secretary-General
attends a lot
of
events.
Sometimes
there is a VIP
reception.
None of it
should be
construed as
anything as
the
Secretary-General
having his
picture taken
with
anyone."
While
Inner City
Press' answer
to the
spokesman's
"if you were
there, then
maybe you
condoned the
event as
well," is that
Inner City
Press quit
UNCA
after finding
conflicts of
interest in
it, and
being
"ordered" to
not report on
this, we'll
have more on
this.
On October 13,
Inner City
Press asked
this follow
up:
Inner City
Press: I just
want to
directly ask
you about the
idea that it's
sort of people
struggling to
get photos
with the UN
officials.
There was a…
there was a
peacekeeping
day concert
that was… for
which
solicitation
of… you know,
sponsorship
was sought by
a group called
World Harmony
Alliance, and
it had
nothing… the
group has
nothing to do
with
peacekeeping,
but they paid
for day.
They… they… in
fact, the
funder
complained
that he didn't
get the
promised
photograph
with Ban
Ki-moon, but I
wonder, what
was… what's
the UN's
understanding
when they take
outside
financial
sponsorship
for such a
day? I
mean, former
UN official
[Ibrahim]
Gambari was
seen with the
same group
taking
photographs on
the fourth
floor in the
Millennium
Hotel.
What's it all
about?
What’s
happening?
Spokesman:
What former
officials do
in hotels is
really not of
my purview.
Inner City
Press:
Sure.
What about UN
peacekeeping?
Spokesman:
I would take a
look at that
actual
programme, but
I would expect
every part of
the UN to do
due diligence
when it
partners with
an outside
organization.
And
just…
I'll leave it
at that.
Photo:
here's
now-charged
Lorenzo with #UNCA prez Pioli,
by Luiz
Rampelotto /
Europa
Newswire 1/3 pic.twitter.com/9faId8FIGb
On October 12,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban's deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq, video here, transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: in
light of these
charges
against John
Ashe, Frank
Lorenzo, and
others, it's
emerging that
the
Secretary-General,
if not met,
had staged
photo
opportunities
with a number
of the
individuals
charged.
And I wanted
to know, in
looking at
this, do you
have some kind
of a comment
on how these
occurred,
particularly
in instances
where they may
have been
arranged by a
third party,
been arranged
by an
organization
that invited
Ban Ki-moon
and then
received funds
from
South-South
News or others
and then put
the two
together on
photograph?
Was that
appropriate?
And what would
be your
response to…
to OIOS
[Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services]
looking at
that or
otherwise?
Deputy
Spokesman:
Well,
regarding
that, as
you're aware,
the Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services will
do an
audit.
They've been
requested to
do that, and
so we'll be
able to see
whether there
was any effect
from either
the
relationship
with these
various
groups, these
two groups,
the Sun Kian
Ip Group and
the Global
Sustainability
Foundation,
and any of the
monies
received.
So, we'll
await what
they have to
say about any
of this.
Inner City
Press:
But, given
that Mr. Frank
Lorenzo has
been charged
and he's now
out on $2
million bail,
he was head of
South-South
News, which
spread $12
million,
according to
the documents,
throughout the
UN
system.
So, what was,
how, what was
the criteria
used to choose
these two NGOs
and not either
South-South
News or
International
Organization
for
South-South
Cooperation or
South South
Steering
Committee on
Sustainable
Development?
It seems like
it's a very
limited
inquiry and…
Deputy
Spokesman:
It's not
really an
inquiry.
It's an audit,
and this is
initial
step. If
OIOS feels
like there is
something…
there's a
direction
which they
need to go as
a result of
these initial
results,
they're
certainly free
to do that,
but we needed
to get the
ball rolling
and have an
initial step
forward so
that we can
look into what
exactly is the
impact of the
monies and the
relationship
with these
groups.
John Ashe at
UNCA with
former
president,
after and
before Pioli
click photo
for source /
credit
Back in
December 2011,
shepherding
Ban for this
(compensated)
photo op with
dubious
businessmen
was Giampaolo
Pioli, then as
now the
president of
UNCA. South
South News
interviewed
Pioli that
night,
bragging of
the UNCA award
it got / paid
for,
screenshot
from video
here.
Photo:
President of
UNCA, on SSN
before giving
them award.
How much has
UNCA gotten
from South
South? pic.twitter.com/9LnoW19IPM
(For context
it must be
noted too that
Pioli rented
one of his
Manhattan
apartments to
Palitha Kohona
then granted
Kohona's
request as Sri
Lanka's
Ambassador to
screen his
government's
war crimes
denial film
“Lies Agreed
To” in the
UN's Dag
Hammarskjold
Library
Auditorium:
this
precipitated
Inner City
Press quitting
UNCA, in full
disclosure.)
How can UNCA
be given first
questions to
ask about a
scandal
involving
South South
News, from
which UNCA
took more then
to which it
gave an award?
And what are
the other
implications?
(In
terms of Mr.
Ng's desire
for photo ops,
Inner City
Press is
informed that
he separately
wanted a photo
with US
President
Obama, and
paid six
figures to a
middleman -
who
disappeared
with the
money. UNCA on
the other
hand, one wag
noted,
delivered Ban
Ki-moon for
photos at
Cipriani's.)
UNCA,
it should be
noted, has
been and is
open to
business
interested
beyond Mr. Ng
and South
South News.
Another UNCA
awards
ceremony was
sponsored by a
company called
“Acoona;” the
Italian oil
company ENI
pays the group
money.
But UNCA's
South South
News
connection,
given what has
been disclosed
and charged
this week,
should at a
minimum and as
a first step
disqualify
UNCA from
first
questions from
the UN, and
from the
continuation
of its role.
Consider:
if it gave
rise to
criminal
charges that
South South
News paid Ashe
to get a GA
document for
Ng to show off
in Macau, who
about South
South News
paying UNCA,
and UNCA
delivering Ban
for a photo op
with Ng, that
Ng could use
for related
purposes?
We'll have
more on this.
Wider, and
going forward
in this
series,
limiting UN
investigation
to OIOS -
whose director
of
investigations
Stefanovic has
resigned,
Inner City
Press hereby
exclusively
reported on
October 9 -
looking at
only two NGOs
is laughable.
The scandal is
expanding:
there is a
pattern here,
pattern and
practice.
Watch this
site. Follow @innercitypressFollow @FUNCA_info