By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon
BBC - Guardian UK - Honduras - The Source
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 11 – Senegal, through its Mission to the UN in New York with Permanent Representative Fode Seck, were sued earlier this year for $1 million by a Senegalese architect who says they ripped him off.
On Christmas Day Inner City Press reported that the architect had filed to win by default. Senegal has not put in any response at all.
But when Inner City Press' report was picked up in Senegal, by and Senxibar, this arrogant response was proffered: "Senegal faces condemnation in the United States. According to the Obs, which quotes Inner City Press, a media specializing in the coverage of legal cases, the Senegalese mission to the United Nations and its former ambassador, Fodé Seck, are being sued... Pierre Goudiaby Atepa indicates that his nephew is confusing people's heads and that he himself is a victim in this affair. Better, he made it known that Fodé Seck has nothing to do in this affair."
Note to Seck, and other diplomats seeking to emulate the impunity of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres - thumbing your nose at a legal system is not a good look.
And now on January 11, Senegal has belatedly made an appearance in the SDNY case, with this suburban lawyer: "Ryanne Konan Law Office and Legal Services Ryanne Konan, Esq. ryannekonan Attorney for Defendant, 4 Marshall Road, Suite 248 Wappingers Falls, NY 12590." His video is here. It cited dog bites, and shows a New York Post article about porn. Watch this site.
The architect says his claim is not blocked by sovereign or diplomatic immunity, so common around today's UN, since Senegal was developing commercial real estate.
In the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, which Inner City Press covers daily including Cheikh Gadio along with the UN while being banned by UNSG Antonio Guterres from entering the UN due to its reporting on UN corruption, Pape M. Diedhiou filed a lawsuit on July 23, 2020, for more than $1 million.
And on December 25, this has been filed: "Defendant, the Republic of Senegal, was properly served under Fed. R. Civ. P. 4 and 28 U.S.C. § 1608, and proof of service has been filed with the Court. 3) The time for Defendant to answer or otherwise move with respect to Plaintiff’s complaint herein has expired. 4) Defendant is not an infant or incompetent person." Actually, the Senegal Mission or PR may well be incompetent.
Diedhiou recounts that after substantial work, in May 2016 he "sent an invoice to Fode Seck, who had replaced [Paul] Badji as Senegal's Permanent Representative to the UN."
Seck has led the UN's Committee on the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People - but he did not pay Diedhiou for his work. The lawsuit followed. Inner City Press will be following it. Watch this site.
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