On UNOPS Corruption Exposed by Inner City Press Vanshelboim Extradition OKed Now UN Cover Up

On UNOPS Corruption Exposed by Inner City Press Vanshelboim Extradition OKed Now UN Cover Up By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon UN GATE, June 17 – In the United Nations under Antonio Guterres, there is nothing but failure and excuses and fundraising on crises like Gaza, Ukraine, Syria, Burma, Haiti and Cameroon.  The nearly over UNGA week, with sleeping Japanese journalists and Guterres lying about press freedom and UN equipment shows it. There is impunity for sexual abuse by peacekeepers and UN staff like Juan Carlos Cunillera, just "along for the ride" during the UN sex-in-the-van exposed by Inner City Press.  But now as we again look at and ask about Guterres' omission of his links to UN briber CEFC China Energy, leading to him banning the Press (and Melissa Fleming continuing the ban, not even answering a law firm's pro bono letter), on April 17, 2022 we published on other officials - including long time UNOPS operative Vitaly Vanshelboim (whom Inner City Press covered in connection with UNOPS gag orders before being banned from UN by corrupt Guterres.) We noted  that Vanshelboim's skeeze in the S3i scam of UNOPS's Grete Faremo.   While others then noted for example that a long time member of the UN Correspondents Association Gloria Starr Kins played a role in hooking up the fraud, they don't mention UNCA and their role in banning the Press. On December 13, 2024, UNCA will put access to Guterres up for sale again at Cipriani: no questions have been answered. Now this: Spanish judges say Vanshelboim will be extradited on three of the six charges against him there: soliciting and receiving bribes as a member of an organization that receives federal funds, wire fraud through honest services, and money laundering. But -- Vanshelboim’s lawyers have three days to appeal the extradition ruling. Early on October 22, this from UNOPS staff to Inner City Press: This decision marks a turning point in one of the most controversial corruption scandals within the U.N. system. Once in U.S. custody, Vanshelboim could choose to cooperate with federal prosecutors to mitigate his sentence — a common practice in U.S. criminal proceedings. Such cooperation would likely lead to new revelations about his network of associates, potentially implicating figures such as Abdoul Dieng and other UNOPS insiders who benefited from or helped conceal the illicit operations during the S3i era.  The court approved the extradition for only some of the five counts in the U.S. indictment, rejecting the remaining charges. [Echoes of SBF's extradiction and the dropping of the campaign contribution charges] The extradition could open the floodgates of accountability within UNOPS, where internal oversight has long been criticized as weak or compromised. As the case proceeds in the United States, several current and former UNOPS officials may now find themselves under growing scrutiny — and potentially facing justice.   First among them - Guterres himself.  Perhaps that explains:  From Guterres? Silence, no answers to Press - which has asked him and Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming every day for the past month -  censorship and corruption. A fish rots from the head. Yes it goes: On June 17 the UN's scam "justice" system - which bans the Press from covering it - let Vanshelboim largely off the hook: 176. Mr. Vanshelboim’s appeal is granted in part, and Judgment No. UNDT/2024/072 is hereby modified. It is ordered that:   1. The determination of the financial loss of USD 58.8 million is modified; the amount of financial loss is determined to be USD 52,674,222; 2. The finding that Mr. Vanshelboim was solely accountable for the financial loss is reversed and replaced with a finding that he bears substantive responsibility; 3. The decision to withhold Mr. Vanshelboim’s pension is maintained; and  4. The case is referred to the Secretary-General for possible action to enforce accountability under Article 9(5) of the Statute." Guterres and accountability? That's an oxymoron   We'll have more on this. *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. Feedback: Editorial [at] innercitypress.com Mail: Box 130222  NY NY 10013 Other, earlier Inner City Press are listed here, and some are available in the ProQuest service, and now on Lexis-Nexis.  Copyright 2006-2026 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editorial [at] innercitypress.com