Amid
Scandal, Ban
Asks Press to
Refrain From
Questions
About His
Nephew,
UNanswered
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, May
15 -- UN
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon is in
his native
South Korea
for five days
and Press
questions
remain
unanswered
by the UN
about his
links to the
scandal
surrounding
the suicide of
South Korean
businessman
Sung Wan-jong,
and his own
nephew
Joo-hyun
"Dennis" Bahn.
Inner City
Press asked
the UN on May
15, video
here.
Now on May 19,
Ban has urged
the media not
to ask about,
or report on,
issues
surrounding
his nephew.
Inner City
Press has
asked, and
will continue
to ask, what
rules and
safeguards apply
for example to
a company the
Secretary
General's nephew
works with,
Colliers
International,
doing business
with the UN,
as Colliers
Vice Chairman
brags. Here is
the UN's
transcription
of Ban's May
19 answer in
Seoul:
"I’ve
seen reports
having to do
with my
nephew.
Regardless of
whether it’s
true or not, I
feel quite
ashamed that a
scandal like
this has
surfaced and
caused
controversy.
About my
nephew’s
business
activities, I
have never
known and
never took
part in any of
this. I’d like
to tell you
clearly that
this has
nothing to do
with me. As
the
Secretary-General
of the United
Nations, I am
doing a lot of
things for the
international
community and
the
international
community
expects a lot
from me. While
I am
fulfilling my
duties as
Secretary-General,
such
unnecessary
and incorrect
allegations or
rumours cause
inconvenience
to my work as
Secretary-General.
So I’d like to
ask you to
refrain from
doing that."
Who is Ban
request to
"refrain,"
from what? The
questions
about his
nephew are
entirely
legitimate,
and continue
because they
have not been
answered. They
don't just go
away.
While
the Free
UN Coalition
for Access
openly opposes
such
non-answering
by Ladsous
(and Ban's
spokespeople),
Ban praises
and partners
with the old
UN
Correspondents
Association,
whose leaders
praise Ban
back, do not
ask about
conflicts of
interest, and
have even
tried to get
the
investigative
Press thrown
out for such
reporting.
This is the
context.
On
May 18, Inner
City Press
asked Ban's
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq an
event more
specific
question: did
Ban raise any
of its
relatives'
real estate
projects, for
example
Landmark 72 in
Vietnam, to
the Emir of
Qatar in a
meeting on
September 24,
2013? May
18 video here
and embedded
below.
Haq repeated
that Ban is
not involved,
that he and
Ban's lead
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric have
"nothing to
add." On May
15, Haq told
Inner City
Press that the
UN does not
have to
respond about
any relative
of Ban who is
not a UN staff
member, even
if they do
business with,
or with the
name of, the
UN and Ban.
Inner City
Press has
raised that
higher within
the UN.
The JoongAng
Daily reports
that its
affiliate JBTC
has obtained
an email in
which Ban's
nephew Bahn
Joo-hyun
wrote:
“QIA
said the emir
of Qatar had
an official
meeting with
the UN
Secretary
General at the
United Nations
[Headquarters]
at 11:30 a.m.,
and [Secretary
General Ban]
mentioned the
Landmark 72
upon request
of [Ban
Ki-sang]" -
Ban's brother.
Using the time
11:30 a.m.,
Inner City
Press searched
past versions
of Ban
Ki-moon's
schedule and
found such a
meeting:
"September
24, 2013,
11:30
am
NLB SG Conf Rm
3rd flr The
Secretary-General
with H.H.
Sheikh Tamim
bin Hamad
Al-Thani, Emir
of Qatar"
But
the UN's
read-out for
that meeting
did not
mention real
estate:
"The
Secretary-General
met today with
His Highness
Sheikh Tamim
bin Hamad
Al-Thani, Amir
of the State
of
Qatar.
The
Secretary-General
reiterated his
call for a
political
solution to
the crisis in
Syria, and
expressed
gratitude to
Qatar for its
support to the
Central
Emergency
Response Fund
and other
generous
humanitarian
assistance.
They discussed
the
Palestine-Israel
issue and also
the importance
of United
Nations
political
efforts in
Yemen.
The
Secretary-General
thanked the
Amir for
Qatari support
on the
Alliance of
Civilizations,
sustainable
development
and climate
change.
New York, 24
September
2013."
The Alliance
of
Civilizations
is headed by
Qatar's former
Permanent
Representative
to the UN.
(On May 18,
2015, Inner
City Press
also asked Haq
for Ban
Ki-moon's
response to
Qatar
detaining BBC
journalist
Mark Lobel
while he was
reporting on
the treatment
of migrant
workers in the
run up to the
World Cup
there; Haq's
and the UN's
response seems
muted.)
It is reported
that Ban's
nephew Ban got
business
trying to sell
off a
Sung-linked
skyscraper in
Vietnam by
saying that
Ban had
discussed the
project with
Emir of Qatar
(on whose
private jet
Ban has
flown), and by
reportedly
forging a
letter of
commitment
from Qatar's
sovereign
wealth fund.
On May 14,
Ban's lead
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric
replied to
Inner City
Press that Ban
has "no
connection"
with this
nephew -
strange, just
as a matter of
genetics.
On
May 15, Inner
City Press
asked Ban's
deputy
spokesperson
Farhan Haq a
closer
question: to
confirm that
Ban's nephew
Bahn has
worked for the
real estate
firm Colliers,
and the
Colliers has
done business
with UN.
(Bahn's
LinkedIn page
lists him at
Colliers,
whose Vice
Chairman
Andrew Roos says "Some of his major
clients
include
various
divisions of
the United
Nations,
including its
Joint Pension
Fund... For
the United
Nations, he
has been
responsible
for more than
500,000 square
feet of
leasing
transactions.")
Despite
this set-up,
Haq insisted
that the UN
does not have
to, or does
not, respond
about family
members if
they are not
UN staff.
But
what if the
Secretary
General's
family member
does BUSINESS
with the
UN? Haq
insisted the
UN will not
comment, that
added that he
faced similar
questions "ten
years ago,"
apparently an
allusion to
Kojo Annan and
the Mercedes
in what's
called the Oil
for Food
scandal. To
this has the
UN sunk. Video
here and
embedded
below.
Inner
City Press
will be asking
again, if it
is legitimate
for the UN to
say it will
not answer any
questions
about high
official's
family members
using the UN
connections to
get business
and going
business with
the UN.
Here
is what UN
deputy
spokesperson
Haq said,
and then
the transcript
Inner
City Press:
Yesterday, I
asked Stéphane
about these
developing
stories about
the nephew of
the
Secretary-General
and the claims
made about the
Qatar
Sovereign
Wealth
Fund.
And the reason
I… he said
yesterday,
that the
Secretary-General
has nothing to
do with his
nephew.
But I wanted
to ask because
there's been
more reporting
since even
yesterday and
basically
what's emerged
in these
articles is
that the
nephew, Mr.… I
don't want to
get the name
wrong.
We'll call him
Mr. Ban… Ban
Joo-Hyun… had
made two
claims.
He had made a
claim to the
construction
company that
was run by the
now deceased
business man,
that the
Secretary-General
had raised
this very
project to the
Emir of Qatar
in a
meeting.
And he also
made a claim
that the Qatar
Sovereign
Wealth Fund
was behind the
deal. So
this is… the
question that
I have for you
is, is even if
the
Secretary-General
is saying that
these
statements
didn't occur,
that's what I
was trying to
get a yes or
no on, or if
they did
occur, he has
nothing to do
with them, has
he informed
the members of
his family,
including his
nephew,
including his
brother who is
part of this
story, and
including, for
example, his
son-in-law,
not to invoke
his name when
they seek to
do business
deals that
obviously
involve
Sovereign
Wealth Fund of
countries that
have business
with the UN?
Deputy
Spokesman:
The
Secretary-General
keeps his work
life and his
personal life
separate.
He is not
involved in
this matter
and this is
not a matter
that involves
any UN
personnel.
Therefore, I
would have no
comment on it.
Inner City
Press::
But there are
obviously
people
reporting
quite to the
contrary, so
I'm asking you
is there…
Deputy
Spokesman:
No, they're
not.
Actually,
Matthew,
they're not
reporting to
the contrary,
they're
reporting
about other
people.
Nothing of
what you said
suggests any
connection to
the United
Nations.
Inner City
Press:
The nephew said
that Ban
Ki-moon raised
this with the
Emir of Qatar,
so my question
is can you
deny
that? Do
you deny that
the Secretary
General has
raised
that?
Okay.
Deputy
Spokesman:
The
Secretary-General
is not
involved in
this in
anyway.
Inner City
Press:
Okay, and also
my fourth and
further
question.
The nephew is
reported to
work at a New
York real
estate firm
known as
Colliers,
which partners
of whom say
they have done
business for
the United
Nations
system.
So I wanted to
know… this
seems… this is
a just a
factual
question, is
it true that
the nephew of
the
Secretary-General
works for a
firm called
Colliers?
And is it
true, will you
confirm or
deny that this
firm has done
business with
the UN?
Deputy
Spokesman:
I do not have
to comment on
questions of
family members
of the
Secretary-General
who are not
employed by
the United
Nations.
Inner City
Press:
Doing business
with the UN,
you don't have
to comment?
Deputy
Spokesman:
He is not UN
staff.
He has not
been UN staff
and his
business does
not concern
the United
Nations.
Inner City
Press:
If somebody
does business
with the UN… I
mean that's
what I'm
asking…
Deputy
Spokesman:
Matthew, a
decade ago,
people asked
me different
questions
about other
different
relatives, but
the point is
what we
concern
ourselves with
is the work of
the UN and its
personnel.
Yes.
Inner City
Press a month
ago on April
17, then again
yesterday on
May 14, asked
Ban's UN
spokespeople
about scandal,
the first time
drawing
laughter and
yesterday on a
closer link to
Ban, a flat
but vague
denial. The
closer link
involves Ban's
nephew Bahn
Joo-hyun and
an allegedly
forged letter
from Qatar's
sovereign
wealth fund,
the Qatar
Investment
Authority.
Implausibly,
Ban's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric on
May 14 told
Inner City
Press that Ban
has “no
connection”
with his
nephew.
In the same
briefing he
refused to
explain why
the UN, in
responding to
Press
questions
about another
UN scandal
involving the
cover up of
child rape in
the Central
African
Republic by
French
soldiers and
Ban's (French)
UN
Peacekeeping
chief Herve
Ladsous, provided
answers
only to correspondents
who hadn't
even asked or
in some cases
reported about
the rapes.
Dujarric told
Inner City
Press,
"Matthew, I
can't be
responsible
for what
parties you're
invited to or
not invited
to." Ban later
that day
feted the
so-called UN
Correspondents
Association,
whose
leadership not
only never
asked
about
Sung Wan-jong
but actively
tried to get
Inner City
Press thrown
out of the UN.
It's the UN's
(or Ban's)
Censorship
Alliance.
The new Free
UN Coalition
for Access,
FUNCA, takes a
different
approach.
Inner
City Press:
about the
individual,
Mr. Sung
Wan-jong, who
committed
suicide, but
apparently
before he did,
said that he
had very close
ties with Ban
Ki-moon.
That's why he
was being
prosecuted and
said that they
developed the
Chungcheong
Forum
together.
So I just
wanted to,
what was his
relationship
to the
individual who
committed
suicide?
Why does he
think his name
has come up in
connection
with this
scandal?
And does he
have some kind
of statement
of --
Associate
Spokesperson:
I mean, all we
have to say
about this is
we've seen the
reports, and
as we've said
from this
podium and the
Secretary-General
has himself
said many
times, his
focus is on
his job
currently and
not on Korean
domestic
politics.
Inner
City Press:
Sure.
It’s less a
question about
running for
office there,
then so much
as if
somebody,
right before
they commit
suicide, says,
it's kind of
like
“Rosebud”, he
said Ban
Ki-moon, does
he…
Associate
Spokesperson:
We have no
comment.
[laughter]
We have no
comment.
In the month
that followed,
even as the
scandal
developed, no
questions
were asked or
allowed at the
UN about it.
Ban's Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq,
when Inner
City Press
pursued follow
up questions,
said “you must
have been such
an obnoxious
child.”
UNCA said
nothing; the Free UN Coalition for Access, FUNCA,
challenged
this and
Ladsous'
approach
including in a
flier
it posted in
the UN's
fourth floor
press area.
Also on press
freedom in
Ban's UN and
his links with
South Korea, a
week ago on May 8 Inner
City Press asked Dujarric:
Inner
City Press / FUNCA: There are a number of reporters
complaining
publicly in a
their
publications
that they
sought to
attend a
“Journalists
at Risk” event
yesterday
inside the UN
in which the
ambassadors of
France and
Belgium spoke
and that they
were not able
to attend it
and was told
the press was
being “banned”
from the
event.
Spokesman
Dujarric:
Banning the
press is not
something I
like to
do. No
press was
banned.
I think there
was
miscommunication
on the part of
the
organizers,
who probably
didn't
coordinate the
way they
should have
with our
colleagues
here. A
guest list was
provided to
our security
services,
which included
journalists.
And those
people on the
guest list
were able to
attend.
I think there
may have been
misunderstanding
where
journalists
wanted to come
in with
cameras who
didn't have
accreditation.
We tried to
facilitate
things as much
as
possible.
As always
here, we're
happy to host
any event,
obviously, the
Member States
are
holding.
It just needs
a minimum of
coordination
with the
various
services.
But, to say
that press was
banned, I
think is a
mischaracterization
of what
happened.
Inner City
Press /
FUNCA:
Some are
contrasting it
to the speed
with which
journalists
were processed
to attend the
Hillary
Clinton
stakeout.
They were
saying that
this was
actually…
there was more
time to do
them, but they
were told it's
impossible, it
can't be done.
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I would
dispute that
account, as
well.
You had
country-specific
questions?
Inner City
Press: The
country is
South
Korea. I
just want to
know, since
it's out there
and it has
been reported
in The Korea
Times, can you
confirm that
the
Secretary-General
is going to
South Korea
for four days
in and around
22 May?
Spokesman
Duarric:
I cannot
confirm at
this point,
but I
encourage you
to attend the
briefings next
week.
Inner
City Press:
about this
case in South
Korea that's
been bouncing
around for
some time, the
businessman
Mr. Sung, who
committed
suicide, but
mentioned the
Secretary-General's
name soon
before he did
it. And
there's a new
article
in the Korea
JoongAng
Daily, which
says that Mr.
Ban's nephew
Ban Joo-hyun,
the manager of
a New
York-based
real estate
firm, is
somehow
involved in
this
case.
And it cites
him providing
a forged
letter for the
Qatar
Investment
Authority,
saying a
building in
Viet Nam was
going to be
built when it
wasn't.
I would assume
that your
office is
aware of
this.
What is the…
is any of this
true?
For example,
is his nephew
involved in
this real
estate
deal?
Does his
nephew deny
providing a
fraudulent
Qatari
investment
fund letter?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I think the…
This does not…
this does not
involve the
Secretary-General.
He has nothing
to do with
this issue,
and he has
nothing to do
with his
nephew.
And I think
you… I really
have nothing
else to add.
Inner
City Press:
I'm only
asking because
it only has
connection to
possible
politics,
countries, the
commonwealth
fund — do you
deny it?
Spokesman
Dujarric:
I understand…
I think…
Clearly, the
Secretary-General
is not
involved in
any of
this. I
would like to…
oh.
Yes. I
would like to
say have a
good
weekend.
But, go
ahead. (Video from Minute 3:53)
, 
