By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, March 20 -- When UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon settled on Abdel-Elah Al-Khatib as his envoy to Libya, questions were raised by Inner City Press about Khatib's business dealings including as a director of Jordan Ahli Bank, which is a co top 20 owner of Union des Banques Arabes et Francaise along with the Libyan Foreign Bank, a 100% owned subsidiary of Gaddafi's Central Bank of Libya.
The UN has yet to address these conflict of interest, instead telling Inner City Press that Khatib will file a financial disclosure at some later date.
But now another problem that the UN should have foreseen and acted on has arisen. Inner City Press is told that Khatib still receives a salary from Jordan as a Senator. A person cannot work for the UN and receive money from a government at the same time. But Khatib insists he can, and Ban is in too deep, the sources say, to even try to enforce the UN rules.
When Ban unveiled Al-Khatib as his envoy, Ban did not mention or take questions on Al-Khatib's outside business, but did say that “he is now serving as a senator of Jordan.” That set off red flags, as the UN charter says that anyone working for the UN should not appear to be affiliated with a government.
That governments push their citizens with Ban and previous Secretaries General to get UN posts is one thing. But to be concurrently “serving as a senator in Jordan,” which is being protests, and be ostensibly representing the UN in Libya?
Ban was turned down by Lakhdar Brahimi and Kemal Dervis, neither of whom work for and receive pay from a government, before Ban settled on Al-Khatib.
Under Ban the UN has become a lawless place of opaque conflicts of interest, where topics on these questions are not answered, are even retaliated against. Watch this site.
From the UN's transcription of the March 16 noon briefing:
Inner City Press: Can I ask you, on Mr. Khatib, I just… I saw yesterday a clip in which they said he has a spokesman, Bahaa el-Kousy. Is it… is there a UN spokesman, UN staff member assigned to be his spokesman on this trip? Did he bring somebody in from… that he knows, do you know who this individual is?
Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: I believe this is someone from within the UN system. I can let you know. But this was simply to help to coordinate the Special Envoy’s media work while in the region.
Inner City Press: And is he a USG [Under Secretary General]? What is his position and compensation for this role?
Spokesperson Nesirky: Special Envoy; I’d need to check precisely what the rank is.
But Ban's spokesman's office has yet to provide any answers on Al-Khatib's post or pay or vetting. Without any answer from Ban's spokesperson's office, it's been learned that Bahaa Elkoussy is "UNIC Beirut Director" - we'll have more about UN system in Beirut soon.
From the UN's transcription of its March 11 noon briefing:
Inner City Press: On Mr. Al-Khatib, earlier this week I had asked whether his outside business interests in a Jordanian cement company, and in the bank, that actually he is co-owner of another bank with the Libyan Central Bank controlled by [Muammar al-] Qadhafi, whether these will be suspended during his service for the UN as an envoy to Libya. Is there an answer to that, given that he is [inaudible]…?
Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: No, not specifically to that. Just that he is a senior official, and just as with other officials of that rank, he would be required to fill out the standard financial disclosure. So, he will go through the same financial disclosure process as everyone else.
Inner City Press: On what time frame? Has he filled it out yet? Has OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services]…?
Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: He was only just appointed, Matthew!
Inner City Press: I understand, but it seems to raise possible conflicts of interest even as his service begins.
Acting Deputy Spokesperson: You don’t file a financial disclosure the minute you get appointed.
Inner City Press: That’s only the UN, that’s an official has to file a form after the person is already named?
Acting Deputy Spokesperson: If there is any particular conflict regarding Mr. Khatib, it would be incumbent on him to remove any particular conflicts before he begins work. However, in any case, any conflicts would be determined once he goes through the financial disclosure process, which he has to do, just as with any other senior appointment.
Question: A follow-up on that, follow up? There will be conflict of interest here. Someone going to Libya to mediate or work on the human rights issues and then he has interests in the regime, within the regime, if he is…
Acting Deputy Spokesperson Haq: That’s not proven; that’s just based on something that, a report that he is saying. No, no, like I said, if there is anything that poses a conflict of interest, it would be incumbent on him to remove that before he begins his work. He is going through the same sort of vetting process as anyone else, which includes of course, the financial disclosures. Yes?
No. Watch this site.