Showing posts with label huffington post. Show all posts
Showing posts with label huffington post. Show all posts

Sunday, December 30, 2018

On Cameroon UN Refuses Inner City Press Questions Charade With HuffPost Who Admits Never Wrote About Biya


By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR Goot PFT NYP


UNITED NATIONS GATE, December 30 --After Paul Biya who has ruled Cameroon for 36 years lied that Transparency International was observing his re-coronation, and burned village after village in the Anglophone regions while hiring lobbyists to seek and get support from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, on October 22 he claimed to win over 71% of the vote and even that 16% of those eligible voted in the Anglophone North-West and South-West regions. None of this is credible. Nor is Guterres' spokesman and censorStephane Dujarric, refusing to answer dozens of Cameroon questions from banned Inner City Press, servicing only those he allows in his briefing room including the self described Huffington Post contributor who earlier cracked, "The Anglophone have been doing some shooting." Video here. Designated or self-styled patsie, producing nothing, elbowing out others, classic UN. Here is the video. The money (literally) quote is that Guterres is "in touch with the government." YouTube hereOn December 29, weeks after Inner City Press published on this, astute Anglophones revisited it, referring to HuffPost - drawing this telling response or admission: "I never wrote about Cameroon and have not contributd to HuffPost in over a year. Your tweet is unreadable." Photo hereWait a minute - the correspondent the UN has used during its 179 day barring of Inner City Press to claim it is still answering about Cameroon, if only from a Biya perspective, now admits she "never wrote about Cameroon"? So the asking was just a scam? And why is her profile "Huffington Post"? To this the UN of Alison Smale and Guterres gives a free UN office and full access, while roughing up and banning Inner City Press which has published hundreds of stories, dozens of exclusives about abuses in Cameroon and elsewhere? We'll have more on this - the UN's ban must be immediately and long belatedly reversed.  Inner City Press before Dujarric's December 17 briefing asked: "December 17-4: On Cameroon, on which you have been refusing Inner City Press' questions, what is the SG's comment and action on Paul Biya's government's use of the charge of “fake news” to not only insult but lock up journalists covering Biya's army's killing there? Again Francois Fall describes “Gender Desks” in police stations but an Inner City Press reader today called the Kumba police station and they'd never heard of it. What was the basis of Mr. Fall's statement?" During his December 17 briefing, Dujarric joked about "une cuisine interne" - an internal cooking that Guterres and he and Alison Smale have turned the UN into. And still no answers. Also not credible are parts of this UN World Food Program pitch, which leads with "NSAG" violence in a way it would not in, say, Syria: "In November 2018, 21,748 people (10,439 men, 11,309 women) from the North West and South West (NW/SW) regions residing in the Littoral region received food assistance.
WFP Cameroon urgently requires US$ 24 million in the next 6 months to provide food assistance through general food distribution to 400,000 vulnerable displaced and local host populations affected by the NW/SW crisis.
 Since June 2018, non-state armed groups (NSAG) have intensified their operations, notably around Kumba, Buea, Mamfé and Bamenda. While attacks were previously confined to rural areas and the Nigerian border, main town centres and peripheries are increasingly affected by the violence. On the other hand, security forces have intensified operations against NSAGs in the SW in October, and NW in November. Between March and October 2018, a drastic increase in the number of IDPs was recorded, going from 40,000 to a total of 440,000.
 Through joint efforts, WFP continues to coordinate with other agencies to assess the security situation and ensure favourable conditions on the ground for distributions (particularly in Kumba). A recent mission organized jointly with OCHA, UNDSS and the Logistics Cluster confirmed roads and access to markets have been significantly affected, as well as access to transport and warehouse facilities. Strengthened coordination on the ground is in place.
In an effort to respond to the growing needs of IDPs, WFP is scaling up its support to reach approximately 400,000 IDPs and local host populations affected by the NW/SW crisis who are in dire need of food assistance in the North West, South West, West and Littoral regions by April 2019. If the food security situation in NW/SW improves, WFP will gradually scale down its intervention after the lean season from July 2019, transitioning into recovery activities for the extremely vulnerable."  We'll have more on this. Also not credible is the new report by Guterres' failed envoy Francois Lounceny Fall, nor Fall's presentation to the Councilentry to cover which Guterres is corruptly barring Inner City Press on December 13, for the 162nd day. After Fall's pitch, and dubious claims of concern from countries which are withholding all documents about Cameroon which Inner City Press has requested from them under Freedom of Information laws like the Dutch WOB, on December 13 and 14 Inner City Press asked the UN: "December 14-6: On Cameroon, on which you have been refusing Inner City Press' questions, now that Francois Fall has said he visited in November and met Government officials, state with whom else he met. He describes “Gender Desks” in police stations but an Inner City Press reader today called the Kumba police station and they'd never heard of it. What is the basis of Mr. Fall's statement?" Hours after the December 14 UN noon briefing at which those allowed in asked not a single question about anything in Africa, much less Cameroon, Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq sent this: "Regarding question December 14-6, we have provided Mr. Fall’s briefing to the Security Council, in which he details his concerns about Cameroon and his work there." And the Gender Desks?

Friday, September 9, 2016

Ban Ki-moon's Son In Law Uses Jaffna University Heli-Drop Commander to Trash Office Ban Evicted Inner City Press From


By Matthew Russell Lee, Follow Up on Exclusives
UNITED NATIONS, September 9 -- 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 recuse himself. 
After Inner City Press asked about this textbook case of nepotism, video here, Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric replied that an inter-agency advisory panel had been involved, before Ban signed the letter appointing his own son in law to the post. 
Meanwhile, an ally of Ban's son in law Chatterjee, Dalvir Singh, has called this series of articles, despite Ban's spokesman's stonewalling and refusal to answer, unfair -- "scurrilous, unfounded and mendacious accusations" by a "blogger."

He has re-upped his / Sid's / Ban's article on Huffington Post, now saying Inner City Press - which Ban ousted and evicted -- is "a blogger of questionable credentials, poor ethics and a filthy office." Not anymore! Ban Ki-moon EVICTED Inner City Press in retaliation. NYT herepetition with links here.

Dalvir Singh, involved like Chatterjee in the deadly and controversial Jaffna University helidrop, says of Inner City Press "I have noted that he seems to be obsessed with Major Chatterjee since 2007 when his father-in-law Ban became the UN Secretary-General."

  If true - that is, if not ghost written by Chatterjee, or his father in law's handlers - why would this Indian military figure be "noting" Inner City Press' coverage since 2007? And doesn't this just indicate that Ban Ki-moon's ouster and eviction of Inner City Press in 2016, through Ban's USG Cristina Gallach, is blatant retaliation for coverage? This is censorship.

This is Team Ban's response to questions and stories about the John Ashe and Ng Lap Seng case, DPI Gallach's failure to do due diligence, all leading to ouster and eviction. 
Dujarric refused to say who was on the inter-agency panel; he told Inner City Press to "ask UNDP," which in term told Inner City Press to ask something called the "DOCO" which doesn't have a spokesperson and has not answered questions submitted three days ago.
Dujarric didn't answer any of Inner City Press' questions submitted on Friday September 2 at noon, then rejected in-person questions calling them "ridiculous accusations." Dujarric canceled his briefing again on September 9. Meanwhile Ban's son in law Chatterjee's response is to block Inner City Press on Twitter, photo here. 
This is Team Ban's response to questions and stories about the John Ashe and Ng Lap Seng case, DPI Gallach's failure to do due diligence, all leading to ouster and eviction. 
 Turns out Chatterjee, to get previous stories buried, as offered goodies only his father in law can dole out - we'll have more on this. And on these places in Sri Lanka during the time frame:
Velvettiturai; Kokuvil; Jaffna Hospital; Manippai; Sandilippai; Chunnakam, Mallakam, Uduvil, Manipay, Maruthanamadam and Inuvil; tellingly, journalists of “Eezha Murasu” and “Murasoli.” We'll have more on these. Meanwhile, while blocking Inner City Press, Sid Chatterjee's followers show / tell Inner City Press Sid is re-tweeting US Power, and photos of his father in law, here.
  Inner City Press asked Dujarric who was on the panel that proposed Ban's son in law to him -- through DPA, it now appears --  to assess if they were independent from Ban, and who the other candidates, at least on the short list, were. 
 Dujarric has refused to provide this information, and has refused all other Inner City Press questions about Ban's son in law, including about his activities in Sri Lanka as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force. 
Dujarric has refused to answer; on September 2, he did not even acknowledge receipt of Inner City Press' questions, including aboutBan's meeting with Sri Lankan President Sirisena.
   As Ban's spokesman knows, Ban was in Sri Lanka; the story can't wait. So today Inner City Press reports that it has been told of Siddarth Chatterjee posing with dead and disfigured Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam; this has been described as a war crime.
   Inner City Press twice this week asked Dujarric to describe and comment on Ban Ki-moon's son in law's activities in Sri Lanka; it is all the more pressing given the most recent UN promotion without recusal. Inner City Press also asked what forms and rules apply, a question also ignored by Dujarric with respect to a fundraiser held in the UN with Ban's past envoy to Sri Lanka, Vijay Nambiar. Inner City Press asked Dujarric to comment in this context on this, authored by Ban's son in law Sid Chatterjee: no answers.
   And so in common journalistic practice, to assist reader in deciding whether to believe or not believe these reports of Chatterjee posing with dead and disfigured combatants in violation of the Geneva Conventions, we disclose that one of the sources clearly has an interest: Chatterjee's ex-wife Shirpa Sen. 
She is a medical doctor; she has said Chatterjee threatened her to stop providing any information to Inner City Press and an Indian journalist whose publication Chatterjee got to remove a report about one of his promotions under Ban from the Internet. (Censorship seems to run in the family.)
The allegation is that Chatterjee dropped her and then saw his career path advance under his new father in law, Ban Ki-moon; he made threats to make the issues of the past go away.
   We disclose this because readers have a right to know of the interest or animus of the source of information. Here is another online report; here on a court website is the decision on the divorce appeal. And here is an earlier report of Inner City Press asking Ban's spokespeople about Chatterjee's military record, in Sri Lanka Ban's 2009 visit to which Inner City Press covered in-person (Inner City Press has since been BANned, restricted.)
  A direct comment of any kind from Ban Ki-moon's spokesman, requested all week, would have been preferable. 
 But Ban and his Under Secretary General for Public Information Cristina Gallach should not be able to censor by throwing the Press into the street, New York Times here, audio here
Likewise Ban's spokesman cannot be allowed to prevent a timely article by simply refusing to even acknowledge questions submitted in writing, especially after he began the week telling Inner City Press (and the Free UN Coalition for Access which asked for in-person briefings) that he would be answering questions all week. 
Ban Ki-moon's Spokesman did not answer these questions, nor on September 2 even acknowledge receipt of them. Whatever comes in, belatedly, we will publish.
Update: late on September 2, from UNDP to which Ban's spokesman Dujarric referred questions then refused to answer any, came this - not naming the panel or other candidates, but immediately published in full: 
From: Anjali Kwatra [at] undp.org
Date: Fri, Sep 2, 2016 at 9:36 PM
Subject: RE: Press Qs on Resident Coordinator selection process for SG's son in law in Kenya: who on inter-agency advisory panel, who were the candidates, given nepotism issues raised by lack of recusal, referred by OSSG, thank you in advance, -Matthew
To: Matthew.Lee [at] InnerCityPress.com
Dear Matthew,

Siddharth Chatterjee was chosen, in line with established selection process, by the Inter-Agency Advisory Panel of the United Nations. Mr Chatterjee is highly qualified for this role and was previously the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative to Kenya. He has also worked in senior roles with the International Federation of the Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), UN Peace Keeping, UNICEF and UNOPS.

I would need to come back to you on your other questions.

Best,
Anjali Kwatra
Chief, Media and Advocacy
United Nations Development Programme

Wait - was Siddharth Chatterhee ever with UN Peacekeeping? Inner City Press asked: "Thanks for this, but as I asked UN Spox this week, and UNDP earlier today, this is a request, given that the SG signed the letter appointing his son in law Mr. Chatterjee UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya, for the disclosure of

who was on the inter-agency advisory panel

and who the other candidates, at least on the short list, were

also - please state when and in what capacity Mr. Chatterjee was, as you say, in a senior role in UN Peace Keeping."

This gave rise to this curt answer: "All your questions need to be directed to DOCO. "

So Ban's Dujarric referred the questions about Ban's son in law to UNDP, which refers then on to DOCO. When one Googles DOCO, one gets "DOCO The Donut & Coffee Company."


Amid these UN scandals, corruption and nepotism, Ban Ki-moon is now on a two week tour seemingly meant to preview how he could be as South Korean president, visiting Singapore, Myanmar, now Sri Lanka, China and Laos. 
For Ban Ki-moon's visit to Sri Lanka, which is seen as one of the (many) major failures of his UN tenure, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, "On the SG's son in law Siddharth Chatterjee, please describe in activities in Sri Lanka including with the IPKF -- locations, and if available confirmed kills -- including in light ofthis piece he authored."
Ban Ki-moon's Dujarric replied, six hours later: "It's not for me to comment on a staff member's writings on an activity that preceded employment with the UN."
This seems a strange position for an Organization ostensibly concerned with human rights. Could Shavendra Silva work for the UN? Well, he WAS an adviser to Ban. 
In fact, some UN officials are required to sign pledges regarding their human rights records. So on September 2 at noon, Inner City Press asked Dujarric:
"On the Secretary General's son in law Siddharth Chatterjee's activities in Sri Lanka, you have not answered on what he DID, stating only that “It's not for me to comment on a staff members writings on an activity that preceded employment with the UN.”

In this light, please confirm or deny that there is a place a policy under which UN officials including USGs and ASGs (please specify what level the Secretary General's son in law is at, as Resident Coordinator in Kenya) must certify compliance with human rights, and state whether this covers time before UN employment." Inner City Press has also asked Dujarric:
"This is a request that your Office confirm or deny that the Secretary General did not specifically mention the UNHRC resolution during his meeting with Sri Lanka President Sirisena, in light of a public report that “The President told us that Ban did not mention the UNHRC resolution even in the 10 minute one-to-one meeting he had with him. In fact Ban expressed satisfaction about the way the Sri Lankan government is handling the issue of reconciliation,” a reliable source in the President’s Office" said.
Five hours later, no answer. This is Ban Ki-moon's UN.
Including in light of the recent non-recusal, we linked to and quote this Sri Lanka piece by Ban's son in law Siddarth Chatterjee:
“The Sri Lankan Army deserves all our respect, gratitude and admiration. These are men who have proved worthy of their calling, and I pray that their fortunes reverse and they are able to inflict on the Tamil Terrorists(not Tigers, as tigers have honour too), a final decisive blow, that puts the LTTE in the dust bin of history. It is a period that calls for strong nerves, single-mindedness (of purpose) and intuitive convictions that success can still be yours after these reverses. They are men of sterling character, and I hope they overcome and demolish the LTTE, this organization of pathological tyrants and killers.”
  Among these Sri Lankan Army heroes are several who would be put on trial for war crimes by any legitimate / international investigation, an issue which Ban is skirting. We'll have more on this.
  In advance of Ban's latest junket, he or his propaganda team granted selected interviews to prepare the ground -- “interview” conducted in writing, without disclosure of who wrote the answers. Pro-Ban editorials by out of date diplomats were arranged (for example here, see comments). But how can blatant nepotism be explained away?
   Inner City Press on August 26 asked Ban's spokesman which of Ban's aides it was who spun the Korea Times on Ban's chances to become South Korea's president in 2017, video here. 
While Ban's Office of the Spokesperson took daily questions at noon during Ban's six-day sojourn in South Korea in May, for this trip his spokesman will not be holding briefings (he has already, on Burundi at least, proved unwilling to answer Press questions in writing). As set out below, this is Ban's censorship.
  We will be covering Ban's trip - watch this site.
Under Ban the UN has become so lawless that Ban's son-in-law Siddharth Chatterjee was just named UN Resident Representative in Kenya without Ban recusing himself.  Inner City Press reported and asked about this on August 25. On August 26, Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric confirmed that Ban had not recused himself, had in fact signed the letter giving his own son in law the job, see below.
It was repeatedly reported that Ban would be in Kenya today for the 6th Tokyo International Conference on African Development Summit, TICADIV or TICAD6. Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Dujarric if Ban would go there and was told to wait with bated anticipation. Now Ban is NOT there - right after his promotion of his own son in law there was exposed.
 How is this acceptable in an international organization? Or this: Ban's mentor Han Seung-soo is a UN official allowed to be on the boards of directors of Standard Chartered, which has UN banking contracts, and Doosan which makes sales to countries Han gives “UN” speeches to.
   On August 25, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric if Ban had recused himself from any role in his son-in-law's promotion, video here.
Inner City Press: Mr. Chatterjee was named the UN representative in Kenya.  So I wanted to know, what’s the process for the naming of a resident representative?  And given this he’s the son-in-law of the Secretary-General, was there any recusal made?  I’m not saying he’s not qualified.  I’m not saying he’s not a long-time official.  I’m just wondering what is the process…[inaudible]… for someone being named…
Spokesman:  The regular process was used.  The fact that he is, indeed, the son-in-law of the Secretary-General, I think, does not take away anything from his very strong service over the years…
Inner City Press: I’m asking about the process.
Spokesman:  Thank you.
Dujarric's only response is that Chatterjee is qualified. That was not the question. After Inner City Press highlighted this, Ban's spokesman Dujarric returned on August 26 with a "supplemental" statement, which still confirmed that Ban had not recused himself, had in fact signed the approval of his own son in law for the promotion. Video here. From the UN Transcript: 
Spokesman Dujarric: I also just wanted to give you a little bit more details on the issue you had raised yesterday with Mr. Chatterjee and expand on what I'd said.  Mr. Chatterjee was chosen through the regular process which is basically that the candidates are chosen by an interagency advisory panel which… which does not… and especially in this case… did not involve the Secretary-General.  I think he has been fully aware of the situation and has kept well away from the selection process.  For RCs, the candidates are chosen and recommended by the interagency panel.  The name of the recommended candidate is then given to the Secretary-General to sign off on.  He does not involve himself… and as I said, especially in this case… involve himself in the selection… in the selection process.  And I would just, again, reiterate Mr. Chatterjee's, I think, very strong qualifications in his career with ICRC and the UN over the years.

Inner City Press: I looked into it, too.  It seemed like they sent it to the UNDG Chair and the Secretary-General.  That's why I was asking yesterday.

Spokesman:  No, I understand.  The Secretary-General… the Secretary-General is very aware of the sensitivities of this case and has stayed well away from it.  The final signature… because the way this works is the Resident Coordinator represents the UN, and it needs the agreement of the host country.  So, the letter of appointment, in a sense, has to be signed by the Secretary-General.  But, his name is given to him by the interagency panel.

ICP Question:  Can I ask you one other?

Spokesman:  I’ll come back to you.  Video here.
Nor have the questions about Han Seung-soo, who refuses Ban's supposed call for public financial disclosure, been answered.
  Instead, Inner City Press which has asked about each of Chatterjee's promotions though the UN system under Ban (for example to and from UNOPS including censorship by the son in law, like Ban) and in the past ten months about Ban's and his head of communications Cristina Gallach's links with the John Ashe / Ng Lap Seng UN bribery scandal, was ousted from the UN in February 2016 (audio here) and had its investigative files evicted onto First Avenue in April (video here)NYT here.
   Since then Inner City Press has been BANned from covering UN events on the second floor unless it has a minder which stays with it all the time; sometime Inner City Press is told there are not enough minders, and coverage is entirely prohibited. This is censorship under Ban Ki-moon.
The UN has been asked why it evicted Inner City Press by, among others, the Government Accountability Project, the UN Special Rapporteurs of Freedom of Expression and on Human Rights Defenders(to whom Gallach provided a false statement two months later about an altercation that never occurred), the SFRC (the UN's response quotes Dujarric) and by Nobel Peace Prize winner Jose Ramos Horta (to whom Gallach falsely claimed that Inner City Press is not not being restricted), and in this petition to Ban
But the censorship continues.
.@UN Sec Gen Mr Ban Ki Moon & his wife Ms Ban meeting with the UN Country Teams,  &  + UN Agencies
Gallach's DPI is giving Inner City Press' long time shared office to an Egypt state media, Akhbar Al Yom, whose UN representative Sanaa Youssef rarely comes to the UN, and never asks questions - Dujarric refused to confirm this obvious fact, saying he "does not take attendance" -- but who is a former president of the Ban-friendly UN Correspondents Association. 

Inner City Press put the question of recusal to Ban's spokesman Dujarric entirely civilly, without (there) calling into question Chatterjee's qualification or history (including in Sri Lanka, to which Ban Ki-moon is ironically headed for a visit). Watch this site.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Inner City Press Asks UN of John Ashe's $1 Million Bail, Casinos & South South UNDP, Immunity for Non-Nationals



By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive series

UNITED NATIONS, October 27 -- While the UN has been extensively corrupted by Ng Lap Seng and his Sun Kian Ip Foundation and South South News and South South Awards, his proposed Macau convention center and the South South event held in Macau in late August 2015 provide a snapshot which the UN has yet to explain, despite Inner City Press asking again on October 26 and 27, below.

 On October 27 Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric for any comment on John Ashe getting out on $1 million bail, about the UNDP South South office and Dominica, which has given diplomatic credentials (and immunity) to non-nationals. Video here.Duajrric replied that the UN's South South does not include casinos - this remains to be seen - and that it is entirely up to member stands to whom they give (UN) credentials.

  More are more holes and gapes and loopholes are being exposed in Ban's UN. And these keep getting covered-up, more and more ham-handedly. We've noted that the UN Correspondents Association took funds from Ng's South South News then gave it an award and got Ng a photo with Ban at Cipriani 42nd Street -- to be replicated at Cipriani Wall Street? - and UNCA's vice president was an Ng's Macau confab in August 2015.

 But the UNCA representative who affirmatively tries to cut off Press questions, even saying "Shut up" (video here) has now purported to report in HuffingtonPost on the Ashe, Lorenzo and Ng scandal -- without once making partial much less full disclosure  that UNCA, for which she speaks, took Ng's and Lorenzo's South South News money. We'll have more on this.

  This came a day after we focused on October 26 on an actual snapshot from the Macau event, included John Ashe, Frank Lorenzo and the Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, on UNDP's website. It is reported that

"Skerrit showed up in Macau and on August 26, 2015 signed a Letter of Commitment with Lap Seng under which the Sun Kian IP Group Foundation would fund the establishment of a Technology Transfer Facility on Dominica to serve the Caribbean and Latin America. The Letter of Commitment was also signed by Ms. Teresa Liu, Division Chief at the UN Office on South-South Cooperation."

  That UN office has yet to answer Inner City Press' written questions; last week deputy UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told Inner City Press UNDP would answer about UN Secretariat staff's travel to Macau, but that hasn't happened.

  Inner City Press has reported some on the UN Correspondents Association's vice president's presence at Ng's Macau event, and that this UNCA took money from Ng's South South News then gave it an UNCA award and got Ng photos with Ban Ki-moon at Cipriani 42 Street, perhaps to be repeated this year tellingly at Cipriani Wall Street. Should Ban Ki-moon go to this?

  Murky dealing in Ban's UN have stretch back some time. Beyond Frank Liu and his sponsorship of UN Peacekeeping day, for example, there was Paulo Zampolli, reported on here by Inner City Press using a UN-like logo. Tying these together, Zampolli went out to receive a diplomatic position, and immunity, from Dominica. Yet Ban's UN says it knows nothing of this, that the only problem is with the Office of the President of the General Assembly. We'll have more on this.

On October 23, Inner City Press asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon about it and he said he has set up a "small task force" under his chief of staff Susana Malcorra. Video heretranscript below.

  But the most cursory research finds that Malcorra accepted one of Ng's South South Awards in 2014 for Ban Ki-moon. Video here.


With all due respect, how can she be in charge of reviewing how Ng penetrated the UN?  Inner City Press put this question to Ban's spokesman Stephen Dujarric on October 26. Transcript here:

Inner City Press: on Friday at the stakeout, the Secretary-General said he set up small task force on the means and measures about the John Ashe case under Susana Malcorra.  I wanted to ask two questions about that and then something related.  One, is PGA [President of the General Assembly Mogens] Lykketoft's office involved in the task force?  Two, given that Susana Malcorra received, in 2014, a South-South Award for Ban Ki-moon from David Ng's South-South Awards, isn't… what can you say?  To some it seems like it's a problem.  If you're looking into the way in which Mr. Ng Lap Seng sort of penetrated the UN with this money, if you received an award from him, with all due respect, are you the right person to…

Spokesman:  Well, first of all, I hope you're not implying there's any monetary…

Inner City Press:  No, I'm saying that's his award.  That's his award...

Spokesman:  It was received on behalf of the Secretary-General.  I think there is no one better than Ms. Malcorra to lead this kind of task force.  It is not one looking into anything untoward.  What it is looking into is to strengthening the way the PGA's office is run, probably making some recommendations to Member States on how to proceed and how to avoid situations that we've seen in the past weeks.  And, of course, Mr. Lykketoft's office will be kept on top of what is recommended.  But, ultimately, these will be recommendations that the Member States will have to take, in terms of allocating budgets or in terms of different oversight.  What we're looking at is to make recommendations to the Member States in that regard.

Inner City Press:  that's why I said with all due respect.  This has nothing to do with the competence of Ms. Malcorra.  I'm just saying it seems like that's kind of a narrow focus to only look at the PGA's office.  If the idea is that this Macau-based businessman did things that you want to look at that he did with the UN…

Spokesman:  There is an audit, right?  There is an audit that is being tasked that the Secretary-General has requested of OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services], which will look at where the monies… the relationship, whether it's monies or otherwise, between the Secretariat and the two foundations as an initial step, and that is being run independently by OIOS.

Inner City Press:  And this was the related question.  Last week I asked, I guess it was Farhan [Haq], about this August 2015 conference in Macau on South-South, which was, as it turns out, entirely funded by David Ng.  And on the list of participants are a number Secretariat staff, DFS [Department of Field Support], Global Compact.  So he said to me that somehow UNDP [United Nations Development Programme] would be answering.  My question to him and now to you is, what are the Secretariat's rules for travelling to such a conference, receiving… you know, free iPads, etc.?  And it's a Secretariat question.  Somehow he said UNDP would answer it.  I wanted to ask…

Spokesman:  Like I said, the OIOS will look into the different interactions between the Secretariat and the two foundations you mentioned.  There are well-established ethical guidelines of people having to report gifts and travel done by… you know, offered by outside parties.

Inner City Press:  So did the UN pay to fly people to…

Spokesman:  I don't know.  What I'm telling you is that there are rules that are well established, if people accept travel that they have to declare it.  Thank you.  Hasta mañana.

 But did they declare it? Where are Ng's iPads? We'll have more on this.

From the UN's October 23 transcript:

Inner City Press: I wanted to ask about what has been called the John Ashe case -- what do you conclude from what has come out so far on how it penetrated the UN and what type of reforms do you think are needed?  Thank you.

SG Ban Ki-moon: "About this former PGA (President of the General Assembly) John Ashe's case, I was really shocked and very concerned to learn of this serious allegation against John Ashe, which goes to the heart of the work of the United Nations and its Member States.  I have made it quite clear all the times that the United Nation's staff or leadership should work with the highest level of integrity and ethical standard.  That is why I have made this one of the top priorities, and I have asked OIOS (Office of Internal Oversight Services) to have a thorough investigation and I have established a small task force led by my Chief of Staff, Susana Malcorra, to draw out some means and measures -- how we can make more transparent and accountable measures, particularly on the case of President of General Assembly, Office of the President of General Assembly.  We have all of the discussion of this matter with President [Mogens] Lykketoft, the current PGA.  He fully supports what I'm going to do, with all this investigation by OIOS and with our own internal discussions to draw up some measures to improve the conduct of the Office of the PGA.  And if necessary, I'm going to recommend to the General Assembly to take some legislation, so that the United Nations, whether it is the Member States’ side or the staff, Secretariat side, we all have a responsibility and duty to conduct our duties [in] a transparent and accountable [way], with the highest integrity and ethics."


Alongside this, Ban Ki-moon's UN Secretariat is again referring questions about itself to UNDP.

  On October 22 Inner City Press published the invitation letter to the Macau conference, here, which notably said that “all local expenses will be covered by the host.” Attendees tell Inner City Press that those present were given iPads with the name of Ng's company emblazoned on them: where have these gone?

   While there were many attendees, over 170, those from Ban Ki-moon's Secretariat, some of them mis-described, standout. So too does the UN Correspondents Association's Vice President, the same correspondent who took the first set-aside question to Hillary Clintonduring her “email-gate” stakeout in front of the UN Security Council, and asks if questions about the private server were only being pursued because she's a woman. (Ng's previous interaction with the Clintons is well-documented.)

  Given that UNCA's Presideng Giampaolo Pioli accepted funds from Ng's South South News, which was then given an UNCA award while Ng got a photo op with Ban Ki-moon at UNCA's Award Dinner at Cipiani on 42nd Street, the question arises: what was UNCA's Vice President doing on the attendee list at Ng's Macau confab in August 2015? We'll have more on this.

 On October 22, Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq about the UN Secretariat staff who traveled to Macau - and was told, paradoxically, that (only) UNDP could or would answer. From the UN transcript:
Inner City Press: there was this big South-South event that took place in Macau in late August.  Here is what I want to ask you about it: I see now the invitation letter that went out and it said that it was sponsored by a UN agency and other strategic partners, and it also says that, quote, all local expenses will be covered by the host.  And the participant list includes a number people from the Secretariat, DFS, Global Compact, some Secretariat staff, at least one Secretariat staff member listed as a member of his country’s, his native country's delegation, which is a little strange.  So I wanted to know what are the rules, what rules apply to travel by UN staff, taking, accepting expenses from hosts and traveling as a part of the delegation of their native country?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, regarding that particular visit, I believe the Office on South-South Cooperation has information on that, so I'll have them get back to you with that.

Inner City Press:  Can they do a press conference? Because I put in the question 10 days ago.

Deputy Spokesman:  They have been answering questions from reporters fairly rigorously and so that will continue.

Inner City Pres:  What are the UN Secretariat rules?  That is my question to you.  I'm not asking about UNDP.  I can name the individuals, but there was an individual from DFS, there was an individual from the Global Compact who attended and host covered all costs?

Deputy Spokesman:  Like I said, there is relevant information on this by the Office for South-South Cooperation, so I'll have them share that with you.

 Five hours later and counting: nothing.


Background: As the scandal unveiled in the corruption charges against former UN General Assembly President John Ashe, Ng Lap Seng, Francis Lorenzo of South South News and others continues to expand, the compromised position of the UN Correspondents Association has come to the fore.

 In 2011 until now, Inner City Press has exposed UNCA for taking funds from Ng Lap Seng vehicles, to which it gave awards, and arranging Ng Lap Seng photo op(s) with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. UNCA has not provided any explanation; the UN through Ban's spokesman has said for example that many people get photographs with Ban. But people like Ng previously found in US Senate reports to have made irregular campaign contributions, and co-owning hotels links to prostitution?

 On October 20, Inner City Press asked UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq about Ng, and about how much money the Global Sustainability Foundation gave for the UN's “Ark of Return” (anti) slavery memorial. Haq wouldn't give the dollar figure - it's at least $60,000 -- and seemed to says it doesn't matter where the UN takes money from, only how the UN uses it. Video here.

Inner City Press:  Okay.  I want to ask you another question.  Mr. Ng Lap Seng, who's now out on $50 million bail, it seemed he sort of penetrated the UN system, including several photo ops with Ban Ki-moon against a blue background in Cipriani's, I wanted to ask you, a major financial newspaper, just on cursory research, said he's a co-owner of the Fortuna Hotel, which has… quote, this is all from their promotional material, table dancing by strippers, boasted attractive and attentive hostesses from China, Singapore and Korea, and erotic girls from Europe and Russia.  And I wanted to know, given, given everything that's said from this podium about UN Women and the need to take these issues seriously, how is it possible… how is it possible that this, an individual engaged in these activities, came… came to such a position of prominence and, and, and closeness to the Secretary-General?

Deputy Spokesman:  Matthew, we do not speak for David Ng Lap Seng or his group or his business holdings.  Any questions on that have to go to his organizations.  The United Nations does not deal with any of the, of the entities, with entities like the ones that you've described.

Inner City Press:  The money from it was donated to various UN causes.  That’s why I'm asking you to respond to this pending, this unending audit, what do you think of this?

Deputy Spokesman:  The nature of corporations is that any corporation can have many, many different holdings.  I'm not going to comment on all of the holdings of different groups, depending upon what they do with the UN.  What we're trying to monitor is how the funds from these groups affected the UN and the dealings with the two entities that we've been talking about.  That's being audited, and we'll follow up on that.  But the group's activities as a whole, that's an issue for other authorities.  It's not…

It's not an issue for the United Nations…

Inner City Press:  I understand what the audit is…

Deputy Spokesman:  It has nothing, it actually has no actual relevance to the work we've done.

Question:  It's just how the money is spent by the UN, not where the money came from?

Deputy Spokesman:  The audit is designed to follow up on what effect, what impact, the activities the groups and of the monies that they spent have and that's what we're following up on... 

Inner City Press: Is it, are you, is the Secretariat yet viewing the… Secretariat viewing the charges of the Southern District of New York as mostly or entirely related to the PGA [President of the General Assembly]?  I guess I'm asking this because things like South-South News...  Yesterday, I'd asked Stéphane at the founding of the Global Sustainability Foundation, there was Mr. Nambiar.  There was the spouse of the Secretary-General.  There was not Mr. Ashe anywhere to be seen.  So I just want to be clear.  Is this an audit about two… merely two entities, but as relates to the UN Secretariat or just to the PGA's office?

Deputy Spokesman:  No, no, it's as we have, it's as we described in the statement before.  It's about the UN as a whole.

Background: Ng Lap Seng was found to have brought the same bags of cash later deployed at the UN into the US earlier, in the late 90s, when his Fortuna hotel was linked to organized crime and even human trafficking.  From the WSJ:

“Who is Ng Lap Seng, and what did he want? According to several well-informed sources in Hong Kong and Macau, Mr. Ng is a mysterious figure with extensive business in China, where he also held a minor post as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in his hometown of Nan Hai in Guangdong province. In Macau, his most visible interest is his ownership of the Fortuna Hotel, a garish high-rise in the gambling district, featuring a 20,000-square-foot nightclub with 'table dancing' by strippers, as well as a massage parlor and, according to its brochure, 'over 30 independent karaoke rooms, all luxuriously decorated with the most advanced sound system for any one interested in performing his favorite songs.' The brochure also boasts 'attractive and attentive hostesses from China, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Burma together with erotic girls from Europe and Russia, certainly offer you an exciting and unforgettable evening with friends or business associates.'”

So what does UN Women, which has still to comment on UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous linking rapes to “R&R,” same about Ban's UN (through UNCA) accepting “pimp and trafficker” Ng Lap Seng into the UN, and into UNCA's Cipriani ball for photos with Ban and his spouse? We'll have more on this.

 Just as UNCA "leaders" from Voice of America and Reuters(censorship bid here) tried to use the UN to get the investigative Press out, now the UN responds to questions about UNCA selling Secretary General Ban Ki-moon photo ops to Ng Lap Seng by suggesting that the questioner, because present, "condoned" the sale.

  Now, with UNCA still silent on its links with South South News and other Ng Lap Seng vehicles, here is video Inner City Press published in December 2011 of UNCA's murky photo ops for Ban at Cipriani, which UNCA seeks to reproduce this coming December.

  
  Even then in December 2011, Inner City Press' accompanying story reported that it

"filmed what it could of the photo op -- those arranging it kept telling the Press it had to leave -- and afterward several in Ban's circle said they had no idea who the businessmen had been. There was dark talk about one David Ng, a businessman who has bankrolled 'vanity' media projects given awards that night -- people funded by Ng used the word "vanity," so we use it here."

 Inner City Press published that in December 2011 about Ng and South South News; it quit UNCA and with another Executive Committee member who quit in disgust co-founded FUNCA, the Free UN Coalition for Access. UNCA continued taking funds from South South News. We'll have more on this.

While UNCA does not represent all journalists accredited to cover the UN -- Inner City Press for example quit the group in 2012 with another Executive Committee member and co-founded the new Free UN Coalition for Access -- the UN gives it a privileged position, a large clubhouse on the third floor of the UN and, automatically, the first question at press conferences.

  But is that appropriate, given that UNCA received money from South South News, “NGO 1” in the filing against Ashe? Not only did UNCA receive money from South South News: it gave the group an “UNCA award” at a ceremony at the high-ceilinged Cipriani's restaurant on December 15, 2011.

  Inner City Press, which did not quit UNCA in fully ripened disgust in 2012, was present in December 2011 and witnessed, when Secretary General Ban Ki-moon came into Cipriani's, him being shepherded into a side room for photographs with Asian men in business suits who Inner City Press did not then recognize -- but now does.

 UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, when Inner City Press asked on October 13 about what it had seen, said perhaps Inner City Press had "condoned" it. Video here. But Inner City Press quit UNCA afterfinding conflicts of interest in it, and being "ordered" to not report on this.  From the October 13 transcript:

Inner City Press: I want to ask inevitably about the revelations about Mr. [John] Ashe and Frank Lorenzo and others.  And just as you… as the lead Spokesman, a person that travels around with the Secretary-General, how… what would you say to the photos that exist of the Secretary-General with David Ng, who was since indicted, and Frank Lorenzo and, particularly, in instances where it appears that groups that receive contributions from the two and then put them in a room to have photographs with the Secretary-General?  Is this something that… how does the Secretary-General view this in retrospect, and what's going to be done in the future?

Spokesman:  First of all, a photo of the Secretary-General with any individual should in no way be interpreted as a sponsorship or agreement.  It's just a photo.  The Secretary-General is very much a public figure, attends a lot of public events where there are a lot of people.  Sometimes people come up to him and ask to have their photo taken.  And it's done within the… within, obviously, the security constraints that need to be had.  I think whether it's the Secretary-General of the United Nations or anyone in leadership position, you will find when you travel with them that a lot of people want to have their photo taken with them.  Inasmuch as that is… we try to control that, sometimes it's difficult to do so.  I think the Secretary-General is as shocked as anyone in this building at the charges that were levelled at these two individuals.  And he's very disappointed at the accusations towards the United Nations.

Inner City Press:  obviously, to business interests having an actual kind of formal handshaking one, I guess I'll just say that that is worth something to them.  That's why they…

Spokesman:  I'm not… I'm not debating that point… [cross talk]  I'm just saying that having a picture of the Secretary-General with any individual should in no way be seen as a sponsorship, approval, making them BFF's or anything.

Inner City Press:  I guess I just want to be more specific.  If an event… and there's one that actually, as it turns out, I witnessed in Cipriani.  If the Secretary-General enters a large space and is then taken to a smaller space for such photographs, what's the basis for that, as opposed to people with selfies?  I mean, I understand what you're saying…

Spokesman:  I think, you know, if you were there, then maybe you condoned the event as well.  The issue is the Secretary-General attends a lot of events.  Sometimes there is a VIP reception.  None of it should be construed as anything as the Secretary-General having his picture taken with anyone.

Inner City Press: it's been a number of days now; I'm assuming that, if not you, OLA [Office of Legal Affairs], someone has read through this long FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] affidavit.  And I want to just ask you again, because in it, it says that, after the… the… the official UN document about the Macau centre was procured, there was a separate payment to Mr. Ashe, separate communications with a UN official number one, who reissued the document as a… amended… revised for technical reasons, with the name of the company in it.  And it seems to me, even before you waiting for an OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services] investigation, the scope of which wouldn't touch that, who in the UN is actually… how does it work, first of all?  Who… which part of the UN amends documents after they're released?  Is it DGACM [Department for General Assembly and Conference Management]…?

Spokesman:  Listen, I'm not going to talk about the specifics of the case.  But it is clear that if the President of one of the legislative bodies in this Organization which controls the agenda, or a sponsoring country for resolution, asks the Secretary-General to amend a text, we serve as the Secretariat.  It's not… it's… it doesn't entail sponsoring of what's inside that text. 

  While Inner City Press' answer to the spokesman's "if you were there, then maybe you condoned the event as well," is that Inner City Press quit UNCA
 after finding conflicts of interest in it, and being "ordered" to not report on this, we'll have more on this.


On October 13, Inner City Press asked this follow up:

Inner City Press: I just want to directly ask you about the idea that it's sort of people struggling to get photos with the UN officials.  There was a… there was a peacekeeping day concert that was… for which solicitation of… you know, sponsorship was sought by a group called World Harmony Alliance, and it had nothing… the group has nothing to do with peacekeeping, but they paid for day.  They… they… in fact, the funder complained that he didn't get the promised photograph with Ban Ki-moon, but I wonder, what was… what's the UN's understanding when they take outside financial sponsorship for such a day?  I mean, former UN official [Ibrahim] Gambari was seen with the same group taking photographs on the fourth floor in the Millennium Hotel.  What's it all about?  What’s happening?

Spokesman:  What former officials do in hotels is really not of my purview.

Inner City Press:  Sure.  What about UN peacekeeping?

Spokesman:  I would take a look at that actual programme, but I would expect every part of the UN to do due diligence when it partners with an outside organization.  And just…  I'll leave it at that.

   On October 12, Inner City Press asked Ban's deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, video heretranscript here:

Inner City Press: in light of these charges against John Ashe, Frank Lorenzo, and others, it's emerging that the Secretary-General, if not met, had staged photo opportunities with a number of the individuals charged.  And I wanted to know, in looking at this, do you have some kind of a comment on how these occurred, particularly in instances where they may have been arranged by a third party, been arranged by an organization that invited Ban Ki-moon and then received funds from South-South News or others and then put the two together on photograph?  Was that appropriate?  And what would be your response to… to OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services] looking at that or otherwise?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, regarding that, as you're aware, the Office of Internal Oversight Services will do an audit.  They've been requested to do that, and so we'll be able to see whether there was any effect from either the relationship with these various groups, these two groups, the Sun Kian Ip Group and the Global Sustainability Foundation, and any of the monies received.  So, we'll await what they have to say about any of this.

Inner City Press:  But, given that Mr. Frank Lorenzo has been charged and he's now out on $2 million bail, he was head of South-South News, which spread $12 million, according to the documents, throughout the UN system.  So, what was, how, what was the criteria used to choose these two NGOs and not either South-South News or International Organization for South-South Cooperation or South South Steering Committee on Sustainable Development?  It seems like it's a very limited inquiry and…

Deputy Spokesman:  It's not really an inquiry.  It's an audit, and this is initial step.  If OIOS feels like there is something… there's a direction which they need to go as a result of these initial results, they're certainly free to do that, but we needed to get the ball rolling and have an initial step forward so that we can look into what exactly is the impact of the monies and the relationship with these groups.


John Ashe at UNCA with former president, after and before Pioli
click photo for source / credit

  Back in December 2011, shepherding Ban for this (compensated) photo op with dubious businessmen was Giampaolo Pioli, then as now the president of UNCA. South South News interviewed Pioli that night, bragging of the UNCA award it got / paid for, screenshot from video here.

    (For context it must be noted too that Pioli rented one of his Manhattan apartments to Palitha Kohona then granted Kohona's request as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to screen his government's war crimes denial film “Lies Agreed To” in the UN's Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium: this precipitated Inner City Press quitting UNCA, in full disclosure.)

   How can UNCA be given first questions to ask about a scandal involving South South News, from which UNCA took more then to which it gave an award? And what are the other implications?

  (In terms of Mr. Ng's desire for photo ops, Inner City Press is informed that he separately wanted a photo with US President Obama, and paid six figures to a middleman - who disappeared with the money. UNCA on the other hand, one wag noted, delivered Ban Ki-moon for photos at Cipriani's.)

  UNCA, it should be noted, has been and is open to business interested beyond Mr. Ng and South South News. Another UNCA awards ceremony was sponsored by a company called “Acoona;” the Italian oil company ENI pays the group money.

But UNCA's South South News connection, given what has been disclosed and charged this week, should at a minimum and as a first step disqualify UNCA from first questions from the UN, and from the continuation of its role.

 Consider: if it gave rise to criminal charges that South South News paid Ashe to get a GA document for Ng to show off in Macau, who about South South News paying UNCA, and UNCA delivering Ban for a photo op with Ng, that Ng could use for related purposes? We'll have more on this.

Wider, and going forward in this series, limiting UN investigation to OIOS - whose director of investigations Stefanovic has resigned, Inner City Press hereby exclusively reported on October 9 - looking at only two NGOs is laughable. The scandal is expanding: there is a pattern here, pattern and practice. Watch this site.