www.innercitypress.com/undp6herfkens060108.html
AMSTERDAM, June 1 -- While in New York the United Nations has been trying to bury the controversy of Eveline Herfkens, the Coordinator of its Millennium Campaign who simultaneously took $280,000 from the Dutch government, here in the Netherlands l'affaire Herfkens continues to gather steam and to expand. Raised in the Dutch press, contrary to UN denials on May 30, is that Dutch military officials ostensibly working for the UN may be having their salaries "topped off" to equate what they would make in NATO or in Holland. Meanwhile Ms. Herfkens herself has refused to return any of the money, saying that would be an admission of guilt. She has said, in essence, "sue me." If someone does, it is not known if the UN's immunity, or in this case impunity, could be a prevailing defense.
On May 30 at the UN's noon briefing in New York, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe
"This is in light of this issue of either housing subsidies or wage supplements. There is an article in NRC/Handelsblad in the Netherlands saying that, if these payments are prohibited, the Netherlands is going to have a hard time detaching senior military officials to work for the UN or, I guess, in peacekeeping missions... Do force commanders or senior military figures from Governments that work for the UN on peacekeeping missions, are they entirely paid by the UN, or are they allowed, despite or around the Charter, to receive wage supplements from their Governments?"
Deputy Spokesperson Okabe: No, they are not.
Inner City Press: They only are paid by the United Nations?
Deputy Spokesperson: Of course.
But following this exchange, the Dutch newspaper BN DeStem reported
As with the still-unanswered question of which other countries' UN official may have "pulled Herfkens," which other countries secretly pay extra to their military personnel supposedly answering only to the UN? Now that even the narrow Dutch issues have moved beyond the UN Development Program, which has specialized in blocking, delaying and controlling investigations into its activities, will the wider UN, or anyone else, conduct a credible investigation?
Footnote: well-placed sources said Friday that UNDP long-prepared whitewash of its retaliation against the exposure of irregularities in its North Korea programs was to be unfurled Monday and that, not surprisingly, the whistleblower is not protected. But even the Kemal Dervis-selected panelists admitted systemic breakdown of safeguards within UNDP. On Sunday night, the UN to the press that Dervis would brief, or brag, at 11 a.m. Monday (Inner City Press' UN Correspondent is in Africa, click here for first of many articles.) The UN Ethics Office, which backed down or was called off this case once already, now has another chance, on this, the Koumoin / Cote d'Ivoire case, and the Somalia / KPMG cases, along others. Watch this site.
Footnote: back on May 22, Inner City Press asked UNDP these two questions, which have yet to be answered:
Q: What ever happened to the promised investigation by OAPR of UNDP's award of no-bid contracts to a firm called PRO-FIT? At the time, UNDP promised its own investigation. did it ever happen? will UNDP make it public? So far not answered.
Undp claimed a couple months ago that internal investigations and a Kimberly Process investigation had cleared undp from any wrongdoing in Zimbabwe, concerning undp's support of diamond mining operations. but undp refuses to make public the investigations. what is the basis for undp not sharing copies of these investigation reports: Will UNDP release the reports? So far not answered.
Q: Beyond UNDP, what about the question of UN requiring letter from a media's country's mission for accreditation?
Answered thusly: " I have been advised that for regular accreditation missions do not get involved. However, they do get involved when a visiting senior official travels with a press corps. In those instances, the mission would sent the UN Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit a list of journalists who need to get a one or two day pass."
We less sure of this last answer, as several journalists have been asked to get letters from their country's mission to the UN. Developing.And see, www.innercitypress.com/undp6herfkens060108.html
