by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
UN GATE, June 24 – How corrupt and decrepit has the UN system become under Antonio Guterres, in this case due to Guterres?
Inner City Press on June 2 published a memo leaked to it, even while Guterres bans it from entering the UN, about 20% cuts but with exceptions, here.
On June 19, after no answers by UN, Inner City Press applied to re-enter to ask, here. Later that day, June 19, Inner City Press exclusively reported:
Dear Matthew Russell Lee:
I'm contacting you concerning what's happening in the UN right now because I cannot stand it any longer. As you know, the Secretary General Guterres is imposing 20% abolishment of the posts without a clear guidance, and all staff members from the system are suffering from anxiety and worries from this. However, the Secretary General is promoting and forcefully giving the posts to his entourages on the 38th floor without reason nor publication. You can find numerous cases if you simply talk to many inside, and here are a few cases.
Recently, he promoted Mr. Miguel Graca, his personal assistant from Portugal from D1 to D2 and now he is promoted "without proper process or announcement" to the ASG. His work or position was not changed at all, and he is still using his title as "Director of the office of the Secretary General" even though he is ASG. All of his predecessors who worked way much more effectively and harder stayed as D1 forever. He also promoted his special assistant Mr. Aguinaldo Baptista from P3 to P4 and to P5 and now to D1.
The SG also appointed his long-time entourage from his transition team, Ms. Michelle Gyles-McDonnough as the Executive Director of the UNITAR, the ASG level with no clear process. And he also appointed Ms. Michele Griffin to the Director of the Electoral Assistance Division in DPPA, bypassing all the proper procedures.
[For now, Inner City Press cannot enter and ask about this]
Please investigate this and let everybody know of the injustice and wrongful act. [Will do]
Inner City Press asked UN Spokespeople including Stephane Dujarric about this, no answer at all. The story was tweeted out before 8 am on June 20.
Five days later inside the UN the loyal opposition Pass Blue - silent on Guterres' roughing up of and continues ban of Inner City Press, which Inner City Press linked to Graca as far back as August 2, 2018 - suddenly and belatedly has the Graca story, with no credit, and no mention of Inner City Press' June 19 report on the other three.
Those with access could have asked this at the UN noon briefing, not only on June 20 after Inner City Press published it but also on June 23 (when Inner City Press, even while live tweeting the US v. Sean Combs trial, covered the UN briefing from outside, here).
Now before the June 24 briefing, banned Inner City Press has asked UN Spox and Graca, "now that Graca has said comments are forthcoming, we have previously asked this: What are SG Guterres' responses to this, to Inner City Press from whistleblowers, on deadline: "Guterres promoted Mr. Miguel Graca, his personal assistant from Portugal from D1 to D2 and now he is promoted "without proper process or announcement" to ASG. He also promoted his special assistant Mr. Aguinaldo Baptista from P3 to P4 and to P5 and now to D1 and Ms. Michelle Gyles-McDonnough as the Executive Director of the UNITAR, the ASG level with no clear process. And he also appointed Ms. Michele Griffin to the Director of the Electoral Assistance Division in DPPA" - response? Now that Graca has said "I am in touch with the office of the spokesperson, who will send you comments" - send the comments or say why not, on deadline." Watch this site. Baptista next.
Guterres had the critical Press roughed up and thrown out. There has been no due process since, not even a response to Guterres' Melissa Fleming to a pro bono inquiry for Inner City Press from the law firm Quinn Emanuel. We'll have more on this.
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