| On UNRWA Corruption Inner
City Press Asked UN Now ESCWA Staff Complain
to Guterres
By Matthew
Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell
book
UN GATE
EXCLUSIVE, April 11 –
How
corrupt is
today's United
Nations, under
Antonio
Guterres?
Well,
consider
UNRWA, under
Philippe
Lazzarini.
Inner City
Press for two
days has asked
Guterres'
spokespeople
Stephane
Dujarric and
Melissa
Fleming -- the
second day
cc-ing
Lazzarini
himself -
about
complaints and
evidence that
whistleblowers
have provided
to Inner City
Press about
what is
formally
knowns as the
United Nations
Relief and
Works Agency
for Palestine
Refugees in
the Near East.
No response at
all, while
Dujarric
laughs and
services state
media and his
partners in
censorship,
with whom he
worked to
target and now
ban Inner
City Press.
And
consider
ESCWA, on
which Guterres
has refused to
answer Press
questions, now
receiving
(along with
his equally
censoring
cronies) this
from ESCWA
staff:
From:
ESCWA UNRWA
Staff
Data: April
11, 2023
Subject:
Appeal from
ESCWA Staff
To: ag@un.org
Cc:
Lopez22@un.org,
rola.dashti@un.org,
makhmudov@un.org,
pollardc@un.org,
mounir.tabet@un.org,
ndiyae@un.org,
armstronge@un.org,
courtenay.rattray@un.org,
Noun@un.org,
Ali.aldabag@un.org
Secretary-General,
We, a group of
ESCWA staff,
fear
retaliation
from the ESCWA
Executive
Secretary, Ms.
Rola Dashti,
and are
sending you
this email
anonymously
since the
Ethics Office
and OIOS have
failed to take
action and
protect
us.
Today, the
Executive
Secretary
(supported by
the ASG/OHR,
Ms. Martha
Helena Lopez,
and the EOSG)
has requested
the processing
of the
resignation of
Mr. Ahmad Dik,
Director of
Resources
Management and
Services
Development
Division,
effective 14
April 2023 (in
3 days from
now) which was
approved
personally by
your ASG for
OHR Ms. Martha
Helena Lopez
following a
deal between
her and the
Executive
Secretary of
ESCWA who
visited UNHQ
for this
purpose a few
weeks
ago. An
OIOS
investigation
has
established
that Mr. Ahmad
Dik committed
sexual
harassment,
misconduct,
and fraud.
Instead of
being
dismissed, he
was put on
special leave
with full pay
for a year,
and now he is
being rewarded
with a
resignation
without a
single
disciplinary
measure issued
against him.
He is also
negotiating
the payment of
his three
months of
annual
leave.
We, the ESCWA
staff, are
shocked that
the Office of
the
Secretary-General
and the ASG
for OHR, ms.
Martha Helena
Lopez would
approve such a
course of
action instead
of enforcing
the
accountability
framework and
dismissing Mr.
Dik. We ask
that you hold
your ASG, OHR,
accountable
for her lack
of integrity
and for
facilitating
the reward of
sexual
predators and
thieves.
Mr. Ahmad Dik
and Mr. Akmal
Makhmudov
(Chief, People
Management
Central) have
been
facilitators
of the
Executive
Secretary’s
wrongdoings
for the past
three years.
Mr. Dik and
the Executive
Secretary have
promised Mr.
Makhmudov a
promotion from
the P-4 to the
P-5 in return
for him
facilitating
and approving
the
appointment of
several of the
ES’s relatives
and the
irregular
promotion of
several of Mr.
Dik’s cronies,
such as Ms.
Hanadi Baltagi
and Ms. Carla
Ziade. The
Chief of HR,
Mr. Akmal
Makhmudov,
approved all
these
appointments
and
promotions.
The ESCWA
staff are all
aware of this
situation.
In addition,
Mr. Makhmudov
and Mr. Dik
have
previously
engaged in
intimidation
of staff at
ESCWA to
prevent them
from reporting
misconduct to
UNHQ. Several
ESCWA staff
have reported
such
misconduct,
and an OIOS
investigation
has occurred.
Unfortunately,
instead of
enforcing
accountability,
your office is
doing the
opposite:
encouraging
the wrongdoers
and sexual
harassers to
continue their
misconduct and
get rewarded
for it.
Mr. Dik should
be dismissed
and terminated
for misconduct
instead of
being allowed
to resign in
compliance
with the rules
and
regulations of
the United
Nations.
Mr. Makhmudov,
who aided the
ES and Mr.
Dik, should be
investigated
for all his
misconduct and
cover-up
schemes during
the last three
years and
prevented from
continuing his
duties as
Chief of
HR. We
ask you, as
Secretary-General,
to remove the
Executive
Secretary of
ESCWA from
office as she
has lost the
trust of all
ESCWA staff
whom she keeps
retaliating
against.
This toxic
culture must
end now."
So
here's some of
the UNRWA
story, with
more to come -
On
April 3, 2023,
this:
"Dear
Matthew,
Thank you
again for
continuing to
be supportive
of staff in
pain and for
showing how
the UN has
truly become
the private
farm of those
who are
connected to
the SG and his
inner
circle.
Member States
must know
about these
actions.
Very much
similar to
these actions
are happening
at other UN
agencies and
missions.
OIOS, Ethics
offices are
only used as
tools to help
those in power
get away with
their
violations.
Instead of
offering to
give best
practice
examples to
host
governments,
the UN is now
allowing
corrupt
governments to
proceed with
their illegal
actions.
Most host
governments
may be aware
of those
actions at the
UN but keep
silent because
the UN also
stays quiet
about their
violations.
Please publish
this leaked
email in the
attached
document.
This email is
from a Chief
of HR at ESCWA
sent to the
ASG for HR
Martha Helena
Lopez and
copied to the
Chef de
Cabinet of
Antonio
Guterres, OIOS
and the Ethics
Office
denounces the
grave
violations,
retaliation
and improper
conduct of the
Executive
Secretary of
ESCWA and yet
no action is
taken by the
Secretary-General
to hold her
accountable.
This is the UN
of Antonio
Guterres.
Instead of
holding the ES
accountable,
the ASG of HR
was busy two
weeks ago to
assist her
with her plan
to allow a
senior staff
accused of
fraud and
sexual
harassment of
resigning
instead of
being
dismissed."
Here
is the letter,
freely
available on
Inner City
Press'
DocumentCloud
here
Previously
we wrote, and
see below:
Dear
Matthew
Russell Lee /
Inner City
Press: We are
a group of
UNRWA staff
who are
witnessing
daily
violations and
abuses and are
unable to do
anything about
it due to
bullying and
fear of
retaliation by
the senior
management.
We have
several
documented
cases of abuse
and fraud by
senior
directors who
are protected
by the
commissioner
general.
We saw your
reporting and
we are asking
if you are
interested to
write about
such cases in
order for us
to disseminate
wider once
these issues
are
reported.
Examples:
1- A Senior
Director was
recruited at
D1 level when
he failed the
P5 interview
10 months
earlier.
This was a
direct
intervention
of Christian
Saunders when
he was acting
USG of the
Agency.
2-
That same
Senior
Director who
is a former
colleague and
a friend of
the director
of HR bullies
staff.
When staff
report those
actions to the
ethics office
and to the
internal audit
department,
the complaints
are
ignored.
3-
That same
Director
announces a
vacancy in his
department and
interviews
candidates.
He selects his
preferred
candidate and
makes her an
offer.
When she
refuses the
fees, he
decides to
cancel the
vacancy and
lies to the HR
department
saying, no
candidate was
found
suitable.
45
days later, he
announces the
same vacancy
at 300%
increase of
the initial
salary.
When HR asks
him to
interview
candidates, he
says, no
because he had
selected a
candidate from
previous
interviews.
Head of HR
because of his
close
friendship
with the
director
(formerly
colleagues at
UNICEF), he
agrees.
WE have copies
of the two
contracts with
same ToRs but
different
amounts of
fees.
4- Tribunal
judgment calls
for
accountability
with two
persons
(Director of
HR and deputy
director of
Syria field
office)
because they
knowingly
offered a
contract to an
unqualified
candidate who
is proven to
have false
information on
her
PhP/CV.
Nothing
happens.
5-
A staff member
seeks
protection
against
retaliation
from the
ethics
office.
That request
is ignored for
months.
When the staff
members
provide
additional
concrete solid
evidence of
harassment, he
is granted
protection.
The evidence
is very strong
and qualifies
for a
dismissal.
The case is
forwarded for
investigation
without
putting the
staff on any
preventive
action.
Harassment and
bullying
continues
knowing that
the
investigation
will lead to
nothing.
6- Report of
two
independent
consultants
show how
senior
management is
bullying staff
with a strong
report.
The report is
hidden and
nothing
happens.
On the
morning of
February 6,
Inner City
Press sent the
above for
comment to
dozens of UN
officials, and
Malta's
Mission to the
UN under
Vanessa
Frazier, as
UNSC president
for February.
No answer at
all.
In
late March,
more: "Dear
Matthew,
This time, the
case is about
ESCWA in
Lebanon.
A dirty deal
is about to be
sealed in NY
between two of
the top
Executives.
At ESCWA,
OHRM, OIOS and
the Executive
Secretary of
ESCWA colluded
together to
facilitate for
a Director of
Administration
at D-1 level
charged with
sexual
harassment and
fraud, to stay
on special
leave with
full pay for a
year and half
to allow him
to reach
retirement age
and submit his
resignation
closer to
retirement.
With the
current
special post
adjustment in
Beirut of
almost 116 %
this Director
instead of
being
dismissed has
been
compensated by
staying at
home for two
years with an
approximate
salary of
20,000 USD
while enjoying
all benefits
and
entitlements.
The Executive
Secretary has
traveled
earlier this
week to UNHQ
to seal the
deal with
Office of
Human
Resources and
to allow a
discreet
resignation
instead of a
dismissal.
This is the UN
of Antonio
Guterres. This
is the
Accountability
Framework for
sexual
harassment and
fraud. This is
the justice
for survivors
of sexual
harassment.
Your urgent
attention may
put an end to
these illegal
actions."
Yes, this is
the UN of
Antonio
Guterres,
crying out for
external
accountability.
This was sent,
nothing, so
publishing:
UNRWA Snr.
Management
ignores
accountability.
Staff
complaints to
ethics and
DIOS are
ignored
selectively.
UNRWA
management
under Phillipe
Lazzarrini and
his team
promised
donors to work
with
transparency
and
accountability.
In reality,
what is
happening is
the exact
opposite.
Management
assessment
report
prepared by
two individual
independent
consultants
showed several
serious
violations and
mismanagement.
The report was
requested and
paid by the
German
government via
GIZ.
After
several
attempts by
Lazzarini to
intervene with
the findings,
the report was
hidden.
Instead of
handling the
serious
issues, he
decided to
call for a
team building
exercise which
included
cooking class
for his Snr
Directors.
Directors who
do not agree
with him and
his deputy are
marginalized
and eventually
pushed
out.
Those who
maintain bad
relations with
the
communities
and staff are
promoted.
An example of
this promotion
is the most
recent
appointment of
Dorothe Kalaus
(Germany) to
the director
of Lebanon
field.
Briefly before
the arrival of
Lazzarini,
Christian
Saunders was
appointed by
his friend the
Secretary
General as
acting
Commissioner-General
for
UNRWA.
During his
acting period,
he added more
than $100
million
annually as
unjustified
additional
costs.
This is all in
the middle of
a serious
funding crisis
which was
threatening
the existence
of the
Agency.
In addition,
Saunders
intervened in
appointments
of several of
his friends.
Brian Baker, a
national of
the UK and a
former UNICEF
staff member,
was moved out
of Gaza a few
years back for
his problems
with the
community.
He was
interviewed in
Jan 2019 for a
P5 position of
chief
security.
The Panel
found him
unsuitable and
opted for
another
candidate of
an Egyptian
nationality.
Less
than a year
later, Brian
was appointed
as a Director
of Security
and Risk
management
with a fraud
process
orchestrated
by the
Director of
Human
Resources
Antonino Brusa
who is a
friend and a
former
colleague of
Brian
Baker.
The process
was a
fraud.
The head of
the Panel was
a UNICEF staff
and the then
direct
supervisor of
Brian
Baker.
He was
invited
by Brusa to
chair a
panel.
There was
never in the
history of the
Agency such an
action.
Panel members
disagreed with
the chair
(Brian's
supervisor at
UNICEF) and
did not select
Brian.
Antonino Brusa
informed the
panel members
that lets send
the case to
the acting
commissioner-general
for his
decision.
Saunders
overruled the
panel members'
views and
approved the
appointment of
Brian Baker at
D1 level.
That same
person did not
qualify for a
P5 with the
same agency a
few months
earlier.
Baker within
months of his
appointment,
fired the
Egyptian P5
person who
competed
against
him.
With
fabricated
accusations
and in close
coordination
with friend
Antonino
Brusa, the
investigation
took a couple
of weeks for a
final decision
to be approved
with
dismissal.
This
way, Baker got
rid of his
first
target.
A few months
later, Brian
Baker seeks a
recruitment of
a local
consultant and
he publishes
an
announcement
for that
position.
He selected
his preferred
candidate and
offered her a
contract
valued at
approximately
usd 1300
monthly.
She turned
down the
contract.
Brian writes
to HR and
informs them
that he
intends to
cancel the
vacancy
instead of
proceeding
with the
second
selected
candidate.
A couple of
weeks later,
he replaced
the vacancy
with an
international
consultancy
with a monthly
fee of USD
5000.
After he
announces the
vacancy, HR
asks him to
shortlist
candidates.
Brian
strongly
refuses to do
so and gets
the approval
of the
Director of HR
to proceed
with the
recruitment of
the same
selected
candidate of
the local
consultant.
Two contracts
are
attached.
Same
candidate,
same ToRs,
different
value with
more than 300%
increase.
The Director
of HR
intentionally
ignores those
violations and
approves
whatever his
friend
wants.
Baker
continues with
his actions
without any
questioning by
any of the
Snr.
Management
people.
He then brings
another friend
from UNICEF
Yara Dababneh
on another
consultancy
contract.
Less
than a year
later Yara
receives a P4
contract with
external
relations with
the help of
Brian.
The Director
of HR brings
in another
UNICEF former
colleague in a
fabricated
pre-planned
process.
Julliette
Touma who
holds a fake
Palestinian
nationality (
in reality she
holds an
Israeli
citizenship
but she was
able to
receive a
Palestinian
travel
document and
not a
nationality).
She records
her
nationality
with UNRWA as
Palestinian
and she was
appointed at
D1
level.
Ms.Touma
was originally
assisted by
her friend
from OCHA (
David Shearer
who was DSRSG
for UNAMI
Iraq) to
become an
international
staff of the
UN at P2 level
in yet another
fake process.
He wanted her
to move from
GS6 position
directly to P4
but then
agreed to a P2
due to her
lack of
experience.
After serving
UNICEF
regional
office in
Jordan, she
was asked to
seek another
opportunity
outside of
UNICEF.
Her friend
Brusa
immediately
picked her up
to become the
spokesperson
and the
director of
communications
for
UNRWA.
In Syria field
office, UNRWA
tribunal
issued a
judgment
related to
violation and
abuse of
power.
A
Selection of a
senior staff
was found
incorrect by
the Advisory
Committee of
HR.
While digging
into the
qualifications,
they
discovered
that the
selected staff
provided false
information on
her CV.
The director
of HR, Brusa
lets the case
rest for a
couple of
months and
then agreed
with the
deputy
director of
Syria office
to offer that
same candidate
a
contract.
One of the non
selected staff
appealed the
decision to
the tribunal
and won her
case.
The judgment
calls for
accountability
for those who
violated the
process.
Lazzarini does
nothing to
this date and
the selected
staff remains
at her new job
in
Syria.
Back to Baker.
A couple of
months ago
following one
of his staff
providing a
witness
statement to
the Tribunal,
he started
bullying and
harassing him.
Brian
also informed
the witness
staff thast
his position
was
abolished.
When the staff
reported his
case to the
ethics office,
the case was
delayed and
ignored.
The staff
provided
additional
very serious
and concrete
evidence to
the ethics
office.
The case was
immediately
forwarded to
the
investigation
after the
ethics office
concluded a
prima facie
case of
retaliation.
The decision
of abolishing
the post was
put on hold.
Brian and
because of his
untouched
protection by
the Director
of HR and by
the
Commissioner-General,
remains
working at his
position.
Other less
serious cases
are
immediately
put on
administrative
leave pending
the outcome of
investigation.
The evidence
provided to
the ethics
office
included proof
of bullying,
retaliation
and
harassment,
It also
included
Brian's
comments about
the
uselessness of
ethics and
DIOS in his
opinion.
Lazzarini,
upon his
arrival,
assigned an
official UNRWA
vehicle for
more than a
year to be
used by his
wife.
The car gets
hit by his
wife and
repaired at
the expense of
the Agency
when the
accident was
reported as
official.
On March 3,
the
whistleblowers
updated Inner
City Press
and, they
hoped, the
member states.
But the UN
system itself
has become
corrupted. The
need is for
the police and
prosecutors,
but the UN of
Antonio
Guterres - Big
Tony - abuses
its immunity.
Here's the
update:
"Dear
Matthew,
We thank you
for your help
and your
efforts to
present the
truth about
corruptions
within the
UN. WE
appreciate
your
help.
Noone else
seems to care
and not even
the official
channels of
the UN.
Corruption
seems to
become a
norm. We
are seeking
your help to
get this
information
and the
previous ones
to parliaments
of donor
countries.
They must
investigate
the spending
of their
taxpayer
money.
It is not
reaching the
beneficiaries.
This is
incredible and
cannot
continue.
Following your
article, Yara
quit her
post.
Clearly she
and Brian know
well that her
recruitment
was
fraud.
However, Brian
and Yara are
now on
"official'
travel to
Lebanon
together
before her
departure at
the end of
March.
The case of
corruption of
Brian which
relates to
offering two
different
contracts with
two values to
the same
person is
still pending
with the
investigation
department.
It is clear
they want to
hide it and
not
investigate
it. This
is because a
person called
Niel is back
to UNRWA as an
investigator
and he is
friends with
Brian
Baker.
Baker
continues to
act as a thug
with full
protection of
the director
of Human
Resources
Antonino
Brusa.
A new
investigation
of possible
retaliation
with Brian
Baker was
triggered but
all
indications
show a
prefabricated
outcome to
protect
him.
On the lady
who lied about
her
nationality.
She managed to
fire or push
out another
lady who
served UNRWA
for more than
10 years and
was
responsible to
get a
lot of funding
to the
Agency.
Julliet Touma
discovered
that one of
her team
members is
married to her
ex-boyfriends.
Touma bullied
that staff
member until
she quit under
duress.
The main
question is
When will
donors act and
demand
investigations?"
When, indeed.
That
is today's UN,
with Inner
City Press
still banned
from entering
to ask these
questions in
person, and
its December
5, 2022 appeal
not even
responded to.
Totally
corrupt.
***
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