UNITED NATIONS GATE, December 11 – Today's UN and its partners are well versed in hypocrisy and censorship - but sometimes things go so far they must be noted. On December 5 after an eight day trial Inner City Press covered, also here, a jury in lower Manhattan rendered seven guilty verdicts in the UN bribery case of US v Ho, in which a still UN accredited NGO known as CEFC used the UN to offer weapons to Chad's Idriss Deby for oil and a stake in the Chad - Cameroon pipeline. This is a new low even for the UN of Antonio Guterres, who did not answer through his spokesmen the written request for comment from Inner City Press, banned from the UN for 160 days and counting by Guterres.
Later on December 5 in front of an expensive catering hall near the UN, Cipriani 42nd Street, Secretary General Antonio Guterres lumbered out of a Mercedes and Inner City Press asked him, Any comment on the UN bribery guilty verdict? Guterres, whose spokesman Stephane Dujarric was standing in Cipriani's entrance, made a dismissive gesture with his hand and went in. Video here. On December 6, on which Guterres spokesman did not answer a single one of the questions Inner City Press submitted in writing (despite three written promises by Guterres' USG Alison Smale that such questions would be answered), Dujarric was asked by another correspondent about Guterres' no comment, video here: "Question: I saw the SG didn’t [answer] a question when asked about the Patrick Ho guilty charges last night. Does he have a comment on that?
Spokesman: Just to say that we have been cooperating with the Federal authorities here in New York from the beginning of this investigation." But now, after Dujarric and his deputy FarhanHaq have refused detailed questions from Inner City Press about the case and Guterres' own spending, they have doled out to another media a misleading quote intended to cover up Guterres' own shamful role in not auditing CEFC. Haq told SCMP that Guterres encourages his "top officials" to "act with the utmost intregity." Poppycock. Guterres himself hasn't disclosed the Africa business links of his son Pedro Guimarães e Melo De Oliveira Guterres, nor how much his at least 16 trips to Lisbon with public money have actually cost. And what about Guterres' defends of Michel Sidibe at UNAIDS, and Francis Gurry the retaliator at WIPO, on which Dujarric, Haq and Guterres also refused to answer. As to CEFC, Guterres still hasn't even started and audit of CEFC (Inner City Press asked him why in January 2018 before being roughed up by his Security and banned still), and why CEFC is still accredited in the UN. The only one out is Inner City Press which questions Guterres' performance and use of funds. On December 6, as it had on December 5, Inner City Press asked in writing: "December 6-5: Given yesterday's seven guilty verdicts in US v Ho for bribery under the FCPA with regard to former UN PGA Sam Kutesa and Chad President Deby who was reached out to right inside the UN, what is the SG's comment and what will be his action on Ho's China Energy Fund Committee and others it has “reached out” to in the UN? Yesterday Inner City Press published a text message in which UN-accredited NGO China Energy Fund Committee's Patrick Ho texted the offer he'd make to Chad's Deby: “$200 million up front plus some arms & renminbi discount loans.” This is the UN NGO that SG Guterres has refused to audit: offering arms. Again, another exhibit made part of the record shows the head of UN accredited NGO China Energy Fund Committee planning to help violate Iran sanctions. Inner City Press has published the CEFC email. What now is the SG's comment and action on a still UN accredited NGO not only offering weapons to Chad's Deby and others, but moving to violate Iran sanctions? Also, a wiretapped audio was played in which Patrick Ho of still accredited CEFC plotted with Sheri Yan who pleaded guilty about bribing PGA John Ashe (RIP). Given that there WAS an audit of some of the bribing of Ashe, why has SG Guterres done no audit of Patrick Ho, and payments to PGAs Jeremic and Kutesa? Also, it was described how PGA Kutesa went to Hong Kong and made CEFC's Ye Jianming a special consultant or adviser to the office of the UN PGA. Given what else has come out at the trial - offers of weapons by CEFC as well as bribery evidence - what did UN DSS observe on that trip and do afterward? What are the duties of UN DSS officers? Also an exhibit was shown of Patrick Ho's entries into the UN, showing that the UN keeps such information. This is a request for that information with regard not only to Ho but also Kutesa after he was PGA, Francis Lorenzo, Carlos Garcia and Cary Yan. On Nov 29 Cheikh Gadio admitted to filing false joint tax returns with this spouse, the UN's Resident Representative in Equatorial Guinea. Please immediately state whether she informed the UN of false tax returns, what rules apply to such legal violations, and her current status. Again, on Nov 28 there was more testimony about how UN accredited NGO China Energy Fund Committee offered Chad's Deby not only $2 million in cash in gift boxes, but also tanks and surveillance equipment. Beyond the other questions from Inner City Press about this UN scandal you have refused to answer, please explain what actions have been taken on the pitching of weapons and bribes inside the UN building, where Patrick Ho routinely met UN Secretariat officials, where Gadio made this pitch to Deby - at a “high level” meeting about CAR, no less and where UN Security witness much of this and apparently did nothing (but now bans Inner City Press from entering to report). Again, what is the duty of UN Secretary and Secretariat staff when they witness such wrongdoing?" And just before noon on December 7, Guterres' Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq sent: "Regarding question December 6-5, we can say that the Organization takes note of the guilty verdict of Mr. Chi Ping Patrick Ho. The UN has cooperated extensively in this matter by making thousands of pages of documents available and providing access to its personnel." But of course this doesn't answer the real questions, now submitted: "December 7-4: Yesterday you were asked about SG Guterres refusing to answer Inner City Press' question about the US v. Ho verdict, you said only that the UN “cooperated.” Today you say UN “takes note.” But the question is, explain why SG Guterres who was asked (by Inner City Press) in January 2018 has STILL not even started an audit of a NGO still in the UN which not only paid cash bribes but also offered weapons for oil to a long time ruler. Please answer and explain this." Watch this site. On December 5, Guterres was a guest of honor - of the UN Correspondents Association. The UN bribery verdict questions must and will continue be asked, and should be answered. Watch this site. The tickets are expensive and the guest list is secret. Previously this group, formally the United Nations Correspondents Association, took money from now convicted UN briber Ng Lap Seng and then provide Ng a photo op with the Secretary General. Who will be paying this year? In the UN bribery prosecution by the US against Patrick Ho of China Energy Fund Committee, both prosecution and defense did their summations on December 4. On December 5 at 2 pm the jurors quickly found Ho guilty on seven of the eight changes against him: all five under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money laundering and conspiracy for the Uganda scheme with Sam Kutesa and Museveni but NOT for money laundering in Chad There the payment was $2 million in cash - it was never laundered. The UN has yet to act: it has left CEFC accredited while banning the Press that reported on it, and on this(CEFC moving to violate Iran sanctions). On December 4 prosecutor Daniel Richenthal did a rebuttal on both the Chad and Uganda schemes. Richenthal tried to rehabilitate Cheikh Gadio, saying the money he took from an unnamed courier from a businessman was only $20,000 and that Gadio hadn't lied about it. He emphasized the emails as evidence and ended with a photo of Ho with Uganda's oil minister, looking at a map of sites. Ho paid to be there, Richenthal said. This is what bribery looks like. Judge Loretta Preska deliverd a nearly two hour jury charge, including the Uganda anti-corruption law that must mena little, if Kutesa hasn't been charged under it. Th jury will returned at 10 am on December 5, now a Federal holiday in honor of George H.W. Bush (who nominated Preska). Defense attorney Edward Kim urged them to request and review many exhibits, and it's to some of those that Inner City Press will not turn. Watch this site. It still seems that the US does not know if the gift boxes CEFC brought to Kampala on its jet included $500,000 in cash. Prosecutor Douglas Zolkind said it doesn't matter. But it surely did matter to Museveni - and to the Ugandan people, if they and their votes matter (see, e.g., Bobi Wine). And it mattered to the defense, whose Edward Kim made much of the $500,000 discrepancy, as well as calling Gadio a liar. Next up: Richenthal for the prosecution, and the charge. On the afternoon of December 3 the jury charge was agreed to, after the defense temporarily argued that "New York, New York" might not be in Manhattan and thus in the Southern District's jurisdiction. Prosecutor Daniel Richenthal said he was ready to re-open his case to prove the 60 Wall Street, where Deutsche Bank is, is in fact in Manhattan. Defense attorney Benjamin Rosenberg said, after a time, "We won't make that objection. Judge Preska said, "That's a wise move." She also asked if the exhibits had been made available. Inner City Press replied Not yet, which remains the case as least as to it as of 6:35 pm the night before summations. (Before 9 am Inner City Press had written requesting particular exhibits, on which we will have more.)
Spokesman: Just to say that we have been cooperating with the Federal authorities here in New York from the beginning of this investigation." But now, after Dujarric and his deputy FarhanHaq have refused detailed questions from Inner City Press about the case and Guterres' own spending, they have doled out to another media a misleading quote intended to cover up Guterres' own shamful role in not auditing CEFC. Haq told SCMP that Guterres encourages his "top officials" to "act with the utmost intregity." Poppycock. Guterres himself hasn't disclosed the Africa business links of his son Pedro Guimarães e Melo De Oliveira Guterres, nor how much his at least 16 trips to Lisbon with public money have actually cost. And what about Guterres' defends of Michel Sidibe at UNAIDS, and Francis Gurry the retaliator at WIPO, on which Dujarric, Haq and Guterres also refused to answer. As to CEFC, Guterres still hasn't even started and audit of CEFC (Inner City Press asked him why in January 2018 before being roughed up by his Security and banned still), and why CEFC is still accredited in the UN. The only one out is Inner City Press which questions Guterres' performance and use of funds. On December 6, as it had on December 5, Inner City Press asked in writing: "December 6-5: Given yesterday's seven guilty verdicts in US v Ho for bribery under the FCPA with regard to former UN PGA Sam Kutesa and Chad President Deby who was reached out to right inside the UN, what is the SG's comment and what will be his action on Ho's China Energy Fund Committee and others it has “reached out” to in the UN? Yesterday Inner City Press published a text message in which UN-accredited NGO China Energy Fund Committee's Patrick Ho texted the offer he'd make to Chad's Deby: “$200 million up front plus some arms & renminbi discount loans.” This is the UN NGO that SG Guterres has refused to audit: offering arms. Again, another exhibit made part of the record shows the head of UN accredited NGO China Energy Fund Committee planning to help violate Iran sanctions. Inner City Press has published the CEFC email. What now is the SG's comment and action on a still UN accredited NGO not only offering weapons to Chad's Deby and others, but moving to violate Iran sanctions? Also, a wiretapped audio was played in which Patrick Ho of still accredited CEFC plotted with Sheri Yan who pleaded guilty about bribing PGA John Ashe (RIP). Given that there WAS an audit of some of the bribing of Ashe, why has SG Guterres done no audit of Patrick Ho, and payments to PGAs Jeremic and Kutesa? Also, it was described how PGA Kutesa went to Hong Kong and made CEFC's Ye Jianming a special consultant or adviser to the office of the UN PGA. Given what else has come out at the trial - offers of weapons by CEFC as well as bribery evidence - what did UN DSS observe on that trip and do afterward? What are the duties of UN DSS officers? Also an exhibit was shown of Patrick Ho's entries into the UN, showing that the UN keeps such information. This is a request for that information with regard not only to Ho but also Kutesa after he was PGA, Francis Lorenzo, Carlos Garcia and Cary Yan. On Nov 29 Cheikh Gadio admitted to filing false joint tax returns with this spouse, the UN's Resident Representative in Equatorial Guinea. Please immediately state whether she informed the UN of false tax returns, what rules apply to such legal violations, and her current status. Again, on Nov 28 there was more testimony about how UN accredited NGO China Energy Fund Committee offered Chad's Deby not only $2 million in cash in gift boxes, but also tanks and surveillance equipment. Beyond the other questions from Inner City Press about this UN scandal you have refused to answer, please explain what actions have been taken on the pitching of weapons and bribes inside the UN building, where Patrick Ho routinely met UN Secretariat officials, where Gadio made this pitch to Deby - at a “high level” meeting about CAR, no less and where UN Security witness much of this and apparently did nothing (but now bans Inner City Press from entering to report). Again, what is the duty of UN Secretary and Secretariat staff when they witness such wrongdoing?" And just before noon on December 7, Guterres' Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq sent: "Regarding question December 6-5, we can say that the Organization takes note of the guilty verdict of Mr. Chi Ping Patrick Ho. The UN has cooperated extensively in this matter by making thousands of pages of documents available and providing access to its personnel." But of course this doesn't answer the real questions, now submitted: "December 7-4: Yesterday you were asked about SG Guterres refusing to answer Inner City Press' question about the US v. Ho verdict, you said only that the UN “cooperated.” Today you say UN “takes note.” But the question is, explain why SG Guterres who was asked (by Inner City Press) in January 2018 has STILL not even started an audit of a NGO still in the UN which not only paid cash bribes but also offered weapons for oil to a long time ruler. Please answer and explain this." Watch this site. On December 5, Guterres was a guest of honor - of the UN Correspondents Association. The UN bribery verdict questions must and will continue be asked, and should be answered. Watch this site. The tickets are expensive and the guest list is secret. Previously this group, formally the United Nations Correspondents Association, took money from now convicted UN briber Ng Lap Seng and then provide Ng a photo op with the Secretary General. Who will be paying this year? In the UN bribery prosecution by the US against Patrick Ho of China Energy Fund Committee, both prosecution and defense did their summations on December 4. On December 5 at 2 pm the jurors quickly found Ho guilty on seven of the eight changes against him: all five under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money laundering and conspiracy for the Uganda scheme with Sam Kutesa and Museveni but NOT for money laundering in Chad There the payment was $2 million in cash - it was never laundered. The UN has yet to act: it has left CEFC accredited while banning the Press that reported on it, and on this(CEFC moving to violate Iran sanctions). On December 4 prosecutor Daniel Richenthal did a rebuttal on both the Chad and Uganda schemes. Richenthal tried to rehabilitate Cheikh Gadio, saying the money he took from an unnamed courier from a businessman was only $20,000 and that Gadio hadn't lied about it. He emphasized the emails as evidence and ended with a photo of Ho with Uganda's oil minister, looking at a map of sites. Ho paid to be there, Richenthal said. This is what bribery looks like. Judge Loretta Preska deliverd a nearly two hour jury charge, including the Uganda anti-corruption law that must mena little, if Kutesa hasn't been charged under it. Th jury will returned at 10 am on December 5, now a Federal holiday in honor of George H.W. Bush (who nominated Preska). Defense attorney Edward Kim urged them to request and review many exhibits, and it's to some of those that Inner City Press will not turn. Watch this site. It still seems that the US does not know if the gift boxes CEFC brought to Kampala on its jet included $500,000 in cash. Prosecutor Douglas Zolkind said it doesn't matter. But it surely did matter to Museveni - and to the Ugandan people, if they and their votes matter (see, e.g., Bobi Wine). And it mattered to the defense, whose Edward Kim made much of the $500,000 discrepancy, as well as calling Gadio a liar. Next up: Richenthal for the prosecution, and the charge. On the afternoon of December 3 the jury charge was agreed to, after the defense temporarily argued that "New York, New York" might not be in Manhattan and thus in the Southern District's jurisdiction. Prosecutor Daniel Richenthal said he was ready to re-open his case to prove the 60 Wall Street, where Deutsche Bank is, is in fact in Manhattan. Defense attorney Benjamin Rosenberg said, after a time, "We won't make that objection. Judge Preska said, "That's a wise move." She also asked if the exhibits had been made available. Inner City Press replied Not yet, which remains the case as least as to it as of 6:35 pm the night before summations. (Before 9 am Inner City Press had written requesting particular exhibits, on which we will have more.)
Despite Wednesday's national holiday in honor of George H.W. Bush (of whom Judge Preska spoke a number of times during Tuesday's down-times), Ho will on that day be produced (legalese requiring translation from the largely Hong Kong media left) the jury will deliberate. We'll be there. There was hardly any defense, other than the explosive cross examination of Senegal's former foreign minister Cheikh Gadio (who admitted taking cash from an undisclosed businessman for his previous presidential campaign). The government finally put into evidence CEFC's purchase of Apartment 78B in Trump World Tower, which PGA Vuk Jeremic, Gadio and others visited. There were weapons for oil offers prepared inside the UN. The jury will be charged on December 4. on the morning of November 30 the prosecution detailed how CEFC bought UN PGA Sam Kutesa - and played an audio wiretap of Ho discussing bribing UN PGA John Ash with Sheri Yan, who did jail time in the first UN bribery case of Ng Lap Seng. As to Uganda, CEFC instead of $500,00 case did a wire transfer - it was cheaper, through pliant HSBC bank which also money launders for Mexican drug cartels - and there was Ho, in purple like today, as Museveni's inauguration. He brought gift with him - a vase, painting, what locked to be a clock - to a dinner at Kutesa's residence. Then the prosecution flashed a list of the times Ho entered the UN - the UN has that information, you see, though they refused to provide it when Inner City Press asked, as to Francis Lorenzo, Ho and Carlos Garcia, preferring to ban Inner City Press. The prosecution left for Monday showing the agreement under which CEFC and its missing Chairman Ye bought unit 78B in Trump World Tower. After a wan cross examination by Ho's lawyer Benjamin Rosenberg (Judge Preska essentially shut him down), the jury was told they may get the case as early as Wednesday, when Antonio Guterres like his predecessor will be put up for sale at Cipriani on 42nd Street. This week, along with the depths of UN corruption, revealed how in China the formal government has a murky relationship with quasi state firms like CEFC, which on the one hand paved Xi's way into the Czech Republic and on the other, tried to get Chad's Deby to "make" Chinese state oil company CNPC to get it a piece of the action, perhaps for the Defense Committee of the Chinese Communisty Party, presumably the sources of the weapons and drones CEFC was offering to Deby and others in Libya and South Sudan. This is the NGO that Antonio Guterres has refused to audit and keeps in the UN while roughing up and banning Inner City Press. Kutesa's sale of the UN began through previous PGA Vuk Jeremic, who told Kutesa it would be "win - win" with CEFC. Then Ho emailed Kutesa's chief of staff Arthur Kafeero, whom Inner City Press wrote about before being banned from even entering the UN by UNSG Antonio Guterres. Later Ho did his emailing with Sam's wife Edith Gasana Kutesa, who asked for money to supposedly make good on an electoral campaign to pledge help Kutesa's young constituents (although she also bragging that Kutesa had no opposing candidate). She wrote, Youth are impatient - so send me the money! Ho arranged for $500,000 while pitching Edith on all the things (and people) CEFC had bought in Czech Republic. As Inner City Press reported and asked about before being roughed up and banned by UNSG Antonio Guterres, the Czech Ambassador headed ECOSOC, which refused to even look into CEFC's accreditation after Ho's arrest. CEFC used the UN to pitch weapons to dictators. And Guterres is covering up for them. Ho met Kutesa and his son Isaac for three hours in the PGA office - the type of entry Guterres is trying to prevent coverage of - and as his "PGA residence." Ho would email Kafeera and be scheduled as speaker at the UN, which under Guterres took CEFC's $1 million even AFTER Ho was arrested. The UN of Guterres is corrupt. Periscope video here. Also on November 30, finishing up on the Chad scheme with FBI Agent Galicia, a CEFC web page with Bill Clinton was shown. We'll have more on this. On November 29, Senegal's former Foreign Minister Cheikh Gadio admitted he took $20,000 from an unnamed courier from a businessman he did not want to identify. Then Gadio pushed a journalist in the street and told Inner City Press he would answer its questions later. Video here (YouTube), shorter (Twitter). But if that seemed to give home to Ho, the upcoming Uganda scheme should not. Whether not a disputed prosecution chart comes into evidence, the undelying timeline is damning. Ho for CEFC told then UN President of the General Assembly Vuk Jeremic, who was already working for CEFC, that they wanted to meet his successor Sam Kutesa of Uganda. This culminated, while Kutesa was still UN PGA, in CEFC's chairman Ye Jianming being named a special adviser to the United Nations PGA. This is disgusting, given that CEFC was pushing weapons to Idriss Deby in Chad. More disgusting, Ho used Ye's inroaded into the Czech Republic, whose ambassador to the UN, chairing UN ECOSOC, refused to act on ECOSOC accredited CEFC even after Ho was arrested. Guterres and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric played their cover up roles in this. We'll have more on all this. Gadio is not the defendant in this bribery case - he is, at least so far, the prosecution's lead witness, with a Non Prosecution Agreement. But does that NPA cover Gadio, after his testimony, pushing a journalist on the street outside the court? Video here (YouTube), shorter (Twitter). Inner City Press along with other journalists, mostly from Hong Kong media, waiting outside the Southern District of New York courthouse at day's end. Gadio emerged and Inner City Press asked him how he thought the day had gone. He did not answer but rushed past. Inner City Press asked, louder, "Are you still running for president of Senegal?" Gadio turned back and pushed a journalist who was following him. This happened again a few blocks away. Finally on the stoop of a pharmacy on Canal Street Gadio's companion said he would not be answering questions today but to give your business card. Inner City Press gave its and asked if the former President of Senegal Gadio who took money from China for dropping Taiwan was Abdoulaye Wade. Gadio looked back in recognition - then was gone. Inner City Press previously questioned him in the UN when he was the Organization for Islamic Cooperation's envoy on the Central African Republic. Much has changed since then. As Inner City Press reported yesterday, Gadio was already on shaky ground when his email to Ho complaining he hadn't gotten Chinese money after, as Senegal's foreign minister in 2005, he worked to drop Taiwan and recognize the PR of China. But the bag of (campaign) cash allegation, dropped without warning in cross examination by Edward Kim, caused a break in the proceeding. Inner City Press rushed down to retrieve its phone and tweet and quickly live stream the news, here. Back upstairs, the name of the businessman was not disclosed, allegedly to protect him - from current president Macky Sall? We'll have more on this. Gadio testified for a second day about how he tried to broker weapons to Chad's President Idriss Deby from CEFC's Patrick Ho, who delivered gift boxes with $2 million in cash inside. Gadio's testimony got more specific, that in March 2015 Deby wanted to keep the meeting with CEFC small and confidential, "because of the war situation." Gadio cited Boko Haram, and Ho in a text message said CEFC's offer, for CNPC's 10%, was $200 million "and some arms." This is the head of a still UN accredited NGO, offering weapons for oil - with no audit by SG Antonio Guterres. Gadio tried to get paid for offering opportunities with the Chad - Cameroon pipelines. Gadio's firm Sarata had its bank account in Dubai closed for not being able to document where the money came from; his joint UN tax return with his wife, the head of the UN in Equatorial Guinea, was found to be false and is part of Gadio's non prosecution agreement. And the UN? And Gadio's reiterated dream to run for President of Senegal, after saying in writing he wanted money from China, while foreign minister, for flipping the country from Taiwan to the PR of China? The defense began its cross examination shortly before the lunch break, getting Gadio to admit he misspoke when he claimed Deby was calling him everyday. Mid-day Periscope video here. These will be more in the afternoon, which we'll report, while Guterres' UN tries to cover up the corruption in its walls - by banning the Press. Watch this site.
