By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive
UNITED NATIONS, October 3 -- UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in late August awarded the top UN job in Kenya to his own son in law, Siddharth Chatterjee, and did not even recuse himself.
On September 27, Inner City Press directly asked Chatterjee about it, on Periscope. here. Vine here. Chatterjee hardly answered the long-standing questions; nor did Ban's spokesman. Neither set up the requested interview.
On October 3, Inner City Press which since May 2015 asked about Ban's nephew's use of Ban's name in real estate deals, prior to Ban's eviction of Inner City Press, now asked about the nephew's conviction:
"court has ruled a nephew of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pay $590,000 in damages to a South Korean construction firm that was at the center of a major lobbying scandal last year. The Seoul Northern District Court recently handed down the sentence to Ban Joo-hyun, son of the U.N. chief's younger brother Ban Ki-sang, on charges of fabricating documents that allegedly expressed the Qatari government's intention to buy a high-rise building belonging to the firm, Keangnam Enterprises Inc.
"Ban Joo-hyun, who was an executive of a U.S. real estate investment company at the time, is accused of receiving the money from Keangnam Enterprises in 2014 in exchange for arranging the sale of the skyscraper in Vietnam to the Qatari government. In the process, he reportedly told Keangnam that he could use the influence of his uncle to directly contact the Qatari king."
"Ban Joo-hyun, who was an executive of a U.S. real estate investment company at the time, is accused of receiving the money from Keangnam Enterprises in 2014 in exchange for arranging the sale of the skyscraper in Vietnam to the Qatari government. In the process, he reportedly told Keangnam that he could use the influence of his uncle to directly contact the Qatari king."
Ban's deputy spokesman Farhan Haq on October 3, when Inner City Press asked, declined comment except to say that Ban has "no contact" with his nephew. His brother's son? We'll have more on this.
Inner City Press was informed by whistleblowing UN staff that Ban is now attempting, contrary even to a new feather-bedding rule his issued to place his staff wherever they want in the UN system, to place his longtime personal / appointments secretary Eun Ha (Isabelle) Kim as a P-3 Professional in the UN Office of Protocol.
Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric on September 29 said he has "no idea" about such a position, while accusing Inner City Press of dragging people -- Kim? Or Mr Ban?" - through the mud. Video here.
On September 28 Inner City Press published more, from even more complaining staff. They tell Inner City Press that Ban ALREADY broke the rules, promoting Isabelle Kim from General Service to a P-2 professional position, and now ordering the Office of Protocol to create a P-3 post for Ms. Kim. Staff are angry that the rules Ban applies to them do not apply to Ban's friends and, they say, family. And it is family, they say, stating that Eun Ha (Isabelle) Kim is Mrs. Ban's nieces: "it's all in the family," they say.
On September 30, Inner City Press asked Dujarric, who has repeatedly refused to answer Press questions by email, about the promotion and this last assertion by staff (he denied it). From the UN transcript:
Inner City Press: The staff union yesterday wrote to the Secretary-General, cc Mr. [Yukio] Takasu, critical of decisions that he's made to basically circumvent considering consultation with the unions. This follows their criticism of this outplacement of staff from the… off… the Executive Office memo. So I'm wondering, what is the process? Is there… do you have an interlocutor in terms of the New York staff union, and what's your response to this letter from the union?
Spokesman: Well, I think there are mechanisms to which the staff union can express themselves, and they're using it. As far as I know, the lack of clarity or confusion, to use the term used earlier in this briefing, on the New York staff union continues.
ICP Question: And I wanted to ask, yesterday I tried to ask you something, and it ended rather abruptly. I just want to ask you a factual question.
Spokesman: I'm really sorry. [UN transcript does not convey sarcasm]
ICP Question: No. No. I mean, so you say. But I want to ask you something very factual because it's… and this comes from… this is a labour… you're saying that they have a right to say it, but the number of people that are concerned about the particular promotion… you said that there are many ways to move from G to P. And I've read staff rules 4.16-2i that says there's only one way, and it's called competitive exams. There are people within staff union and just members that want to know, did that take place? And they also have asked me to ask, and I'm asking, is Eun-ha Kim a relative of Mrs. Ban?
Spokesman: I make a case of not talking about personal cases, but I would say, because this colleague's name has been dragged through the mud, thanks to your… It’s a fact. It’s a fact. She has absolutely no relation to the Secretary-General or his spouse. Every process is being followed. If people feel process is being violated, there are various mechanisms through which that can be addressed. I will get the PGA.
Spokesman: Well, I think there are mechanisms to which the staff union can express themselves, and they're using it. As far as I know, the lack of clarity or confusion, to use the term used earlier in this briefing, on the New York staff union continues.
ICP Question: And I wanted to ask, yesterday I tried to ask you something, and it ended rather abruptly. I just want to ask you a factual question.
Spokesman: I'm really sorry. [UN transcript does not convey sarcasm]
ICP Question: No. No. I mean, so you say. But I want to ask you something very factual because it's… and this comes from… this is a labour… you're saying that they have a right to say it, but the number of people that are concerned about the particular promotion… you said that there are many ways to move from G to P. And I've read staff rules 4.16-2i that says there's only one way, and it's called competitive exams. There are people within staff union and just members that want to know, did that take place? And they also have asked me to ask, and I'm asking, is Eun-ha Kim a relative of Mrs. Ban?
Spokesman: I make a case of not talking about personal cases, but I would say, because this colleague's name has been dragged through the mud, thanks to your… It’s a fact. It’s a fact. She has absolutely no relation to the Secretary-General or his spouse. Every process is being followed. If people feel process is being violated, there are various mechanisms through which that can be addressed. I will get the PGA.
On September 28, Dujarric told Inner City Press vaguely that there are many many to move from G to P, General to Professional. (Inner City Press previously asked Ban's deputy about UN Staff Rule 4.16 (ii) which states the following:
"Recruitment to the Professional category of staff from the General Service and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat: recruitment to the Professional category at the United Nations Secretariat of staff from the General Service and related categories having successfully passed the appropriate competitive examinations shall be made within the limits established by the General Assembly. Such recruitment shall be made exclusively through competitive examination."
"Recruitment to the Professional category of staff from the General Service and related categories in the United Nations Secretariat: recruitment to the Professional category at the United Nations Secretariat of staff from the General Service and related categories having successfully passed the appropriate competitive examinations shall be made within the limits established by the General Assembly. Such recruitment shall be made exclusively through competitive examination."
So did Ms. Kim take and pass this required competitive exam? Dujarric didn't answer, in fact ran off the podium to avoid Inner City Press' follow up question
