Inner City Press: December 2016

Saturday, December 31, 2016

On Syria, Russian Turkish Efforts Welcomed, Questioned, UNSC Flags on NYE

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 31 -- When Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin announced on Friday December 30 that he hoped for a unanimous vote on New Year's Eve at 11 am on a resolution endorsing his country's and Turkey's ceasefire plan in Syria, Inner City Press asked him which groups are included. Video here.

But at 11 am, Churkin said other Council members are difficult, and said they might not vote until "tonight" - New Year's Eve. Journalists laughed, nervously.

The Ambassador of New Zealand, leaving the Security Council later in the day after a two year term, said clarification is needed as to what is exempt from the ceasefire -- all of Idlib? -- and that there's a problem with endorsing.  Video here.

But after language was changed to welcoming with some other amendments, final version Tweeted here, the Security Council members returned at 1 pm and adopted the resolution. Afterward for the US Mission to the UN Deputy Ambassador Michele Sison, not Samantha Power, gave a speech of skepticism, as did the UK's Peter Wilson. There were no right of reply, and the Syrian delegation did not speak.

   After the meeting came the ritual changing of the flags. New Zealand, for one, watched its being removed. The delegations of Bolivia, including Permanent Representative Sasha Llorenti, and of Kazakhstantook photos with their flags. Video here

   Since Italian journalists in front of their Wall Street event on December 16 praising Ban Ki-moon emerged to assault Inner City Press while it broadcast Periscope, throwing its camera and yelling, “What do you do for Aleppo?” it must be noted they were not present for the December 31 Syria vote, or flag change. There must be change at the UN.

From the December 30 transcript:

Inner city Press: It is reported that Ahrar al-Sham have some reservations about the deal. Are Jaysh al-Islam also are part of the deal?

Churkin: The counting of the groups is very complicated, as you know. Our understanding is that 7 major groups have joined in this arrangement. Staffan de Mistura, as you know, counted as many as 98 different groups fighting in Syria. The relationship between those groups is sometimes very complicated, but the thing is that in those documents there are 13 armed groups who delegated two gentlemen who are named in the annex to the documents, who are delegated the authority to sign the agreement on their behalf, which they did. The agreement about forming the delegation of the opposition. So, by our account, those groups represent 60,000 fighters and they control a large chunk of the territory of Syria.

Inner City Press also asked Churkin about Libya and he praised Haftar: see end of this video. Watch this site.

Ban Ki-moon Gave Kabul Post to de Mistura Who Hired Ban's Son in Law, Era of Nepotism

By Matthew Russell Lee, Fourteenth in a Series

UNITED NATIONS, December 31 -- In the final days of Ban Ki-moon's decade as UN Secretary General, covering up genocides in Sri Lanka, Burundi and Yemen and evicting the Press which asked about (t)his corruption, Inner City Press is reviewing Ban's end, year by year. See also this Twitter Moment.

In 2009, Ban misspoke about his history in Sri Lanka, the mass killing in which he ignored to attend his son Woo-hyun's wedding, and where his son in law Siddharth Chatterjee had previously played an active, killing role.

While Ban would later evict and still restrict Inner City Press, in 2009 his strategy was to get it removed from Google News - and it happened (though it was later reversed). Here's Inner City Press' report from June 3, 2009.

And now Ban threatens to sue, for ambition.

Back in 2010, Inner City Press reported that Ban would give the UN's Afghanistan envoy post to Staffan de Mistura, after de Mistura hired as his chief of staff in Iraq Ban's son in law Siddharth Chatterjee. (Ban in 2016 promoted his son in law to the UN's top job in Kenya, and evicted and restricts Inner City Press).

From Inner City Press' January 12, 2010 Afghanistan story:

"UNITED NATIONS, January 12 -- Two weeks ago, Inner City Press reported that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon would name as his envoy to Afghanistan Staffan de Mistura, who hired Mr. Ban's son in law in Iraq. A week ago, Inner City Press asked Mr. Ban about it. Ban replied that the choice is his "prerogative."

Last Friday, U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke told Foreign Policy's The Cable that de Mistura told him he has been offered the post.

With the cat entirely out of the bag, Inner City Press on January 11 asked Mr. Ban, in his first stakeout interview in the UN's new North Lawn Conference Building, "Richard Holbrooke is being quoted as saying that you have offered the top UN post in Kabul to Staffan de Mistura. I wonder, is he right in saying that?" Video here, from Minute 15:18.

The premise of the question was, while Ban's talking points last week involved questioning why the New York Times would chime on on his prerogative, it would be more difficult to say Holbrooke was wrong.

But Ban's answer was almost identical, that "I don't think it is proper to discuss detailed matters on appointment procedures publicly." But it seems clear that Ban has offered the job to de Mistura, who in turn told Holbrooke -- to nail the job down, some say -- and Holbrooke intentionally went public.

When Ban says this is not "proper," does he mean that de Mistura should not have told Holbrooke that he's been offered the job? Since, as Inner City Press exclusively reported, Ban's choice as Darfur envoy of Ibrahim Gambari leaked because Gambari asked some UN staff to sign up to work for him in El Fasher, Ban could have told de Mistura to keep it under raps."

But de Mistura hired Ban's son in law...

In 2006 after Ban was given the job since he was NOT “God's gift to humanity,” even then he was criticized for close business links with Myanmar, by Djoko Susiloamong others.

And even in 2009, Ban was trying to manipulate press coverage of his engagements with Burma. From Inner City Press 2009:

"UNITED NATIONS, June 28 -- With UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon reportedly still undecided if he will stop in Myanmar on his upcoming trip to Japan, Ban's press office has nevertheless quietly selected the journalists who would be allowed to cover his visit with the country's military rulers.

Until now, the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary General has informed at least all resident correspondents at the UN of the possibility of a trip, and to apply if they are interested in going.

This time, Ban's office refused to confirm when asked by the Press that he would go to Myanmar, while behind the scenes pre-selecting which journalists would be allowed to accompany him.

Some see this is a reaction to the increasingly negative media coverage Ban has been receiving. As Inner City Press asked Ban during his last press conference, the Economist rated him three out of ten on speaking truth to power.

Specifically raised was his performance in Sri Lanka where, as covered by Inner City Press, Ban smiled as Tamil children detained by the government were made to sing his name. The goal, some surmise, is to try to avoid that kind of coverage in the future."

As it turned out, Ban Ki-moon's brother Ban Ki-ho would do mining and other business in Myanmar, after being on a “UN delegation.” Ban Ki-moon's nephew Dennis Bahn is said to have used his uncle's name and position while trying to sell real estate in Vietnam. The Bans have yet to answer these questions. Here's the December 26 round-up story by Inner City Press.

Now the South Korean media have picked up on Ban Ki-moon's nepotism as well, reporting that just after Ban Ki-moon "visited Korea at the invitation of the United Nations Global Compact Korea Association... his son Ban Woo-hyun was recruited by SK Telecom's New York office."

Inner City Press has been asking and reporting since 2009 about SK's Chey Tae-won being in the UN Global Compact, for example here.

It was in 2009 that mass killing by the Sri Lankan army against Tamils in the North was occurring. Inner City Press exposed how Ban's Secretariat was hiding the death figures; then amid pressure for him to visit Sri Lanka, Ban declined in order to attend the wedding of his son Ban Woo-hyun. See, Inner City Press of May 11, 2009.

On the morning of December 28, 2016, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's top three spokespeople questions including

"Please state the date and separately content of the Secretary General's last three communications with Chey Tae-won or any other official or employee of SK Telecom, SK or any of their affiliates. Please confirm or deny that the Secretary General's son Ban Woo-hyun was hired at SK Telecom."

Five hours later, the fully paid spokespeople closed their office without answering a single question, and while trying to keep "closed press" Ban's meeting with New York and US officials.

This is entirely consistent with what Inner City Press has witnessed and reported on, leading to and after Ban Ki-moon's ouster and eviction of Inner City Press and restrictions since: nepotism. Like getting his son in law Siddharth Chatterjee hired in Copenhagen then giving him the top UN job in Kenya.

Add to it - not (yet) noticed by the South Korean media, that SK Telecom's Chey Tae-won, who invited Ban, was previously convicted of fraud, NY Times here.

Another NY Times, on Ban's UN censorship.

Here's Chey Tae-won, whose SKT hired Ban Ki-moon's son, on UN TV, here.

Ban Ki-moon's son Ban Woo-hyun has worked for "a Middle East branch of a New York-based financial company." We'll have more on this.

On December 26 it was reported in South Korea that even while Ban Ki-moon was UN Secretary General, he received $30,000 from a businessman, in a restaurant. See here, including Park Yeon-cha (as well as Vietnamese minister Nguyen Dy Nien) with this quote:

""It would have been early 2007, shortly after Ban took office as Secretary General of the United Nations. New York has a restaurant owner who knows him well. Park called the owner of the restaurant and said, "If Ban comes to eat, give me $ 30,000 as a gift to celebrate the inauguration of the secretary general." In fact, we know that money was handed to Ban. ""

Did the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services ever look into this? We're still waiting to hear from them. As to Ban Ki-moon's spokespeople, they have refused to answer Inner City Press' written questions back to November 25 about Ban Ki-ho, etc.

Ban Ki-moon has largely been immune from accountability for ten years, due to a mixture of sycophantry and, when seen as necessary in 2016, censorship, eviction and restriction of the investigative Press. But in 2017...

It is reported that Ban Ki-moon will push the button to drop the Times Square ball on New Years Eve, seemingly arranged by NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio's relentlessly pro UN Office of International Affairs (which never answeredInner City Press about any de Blasio position on Ban Ki-moon having shirked accountability for his UN bringing deadly cholera to Haiti.)

But the moment that ball drops, Ban Ki-moon's legal immunity is over. We'll have more on this.

In his first year, 2007, Ban Ki-moon bought in numerous South Korean staffers. Inner City Press asked and was told there was only one, then that there were five, including Kweon Ki-hwan.

Then Ban's spokespeople including Choi Soung-ha chastised Inner City Press for asking, and demanded that the names of 51 South Korea staffers of the Secretariat be removed from Inner City Press' reporting.

Ban's early censorship, which culminated in 2016 with Ban evicting Inner City Press through Cristina Gallach, audio here, and Inner City Press' camera being smashed.

Inner City Press even before Ban's Day 1 asked about financial transparency. It would end, a decade later, with Ban refusing to say who paid for his travel, even what “carbon offsets” he supposed bought.

On Ban's first day at work, after walking in with Vijay Nambiar who would go on to cover up genocide in Myanmar after participating in it in Sri Lanka in the White Flag Killings, Ban was asked about the death penalty (for Saddam Hussein) and replied that it is “up to member states.” His first spokesperson Michele Montas tried to repair the damage.

In late 2016 Inner City Press saw Montas in the UN, from the “focus booth” where it does what work it can after Ban and his Under Secretary General for Public Information Cristina Gallach evicted it from its long time UN office.

Meanwhile Kofi Annan's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who played a role in the eviction, is bragging that he will remain. We'll have more on this.

On Syria, "Clarification" Sought of Russian Ceasefire, UNSC on NYE

In UN Bribery Case, Ng Fights Superseding Indictment, SSN Cited, NYT on Cage, Not Ban's Past

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 30 -- As the UN bribery scandal gathered force Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for an audit by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services of Sheri Yan's Global Sustainability Foundation (GSF), David Ng Lap Seng's Sun Kian Ip Group and its affiliates including the "World Harmony Foundation" and South South News, among others.

The audit, completed early this year but first put online by Inner City Press, directly criticizes Cristina Gallach, the Under Secretary General for Communications and Public Information, Paragraphs 37-40 -- and 20b.

This last concerns the lack of any due diligence by the UN Department of Public Information under Under Secretary General Cristina Gallach of Ng Lap Seng's GWF's sponsorship of the “Ark of Return” ceremony.

Now in December Ng has tried to get the superseding indictment dismissed, and the US government has opposed it.

The government writes, “The key players remain the same (the defendant as the bribepayer and Yin as his primary co-conspirator and deputy, the Antiguan Ambassador as the recipient of bribes, and the Dominican Ambassador as a party who was paid by the defendant and served his interests); the defendant’s alleged goals remain the same (namely, the obtaining of formal UN support for the Macau Conference Center); and the means and methods allegedly used by the defendant remain the same (including the defendant’s use of NGO-1 to funnel bribe payments).”

   NGO-1, South South News, remains in its UN office, while Inner City Press which has been covering this case, and UN links to it, was evicted and remains restricted 10 months later. When Inner group which put Ban together with Ng Lap Seng and Vivian Wang at Cipriani on 42 Street, tuxedo-ed UN/CA thugs came out and smashed Inner City Press' Periscope-broadcasting camera, video here.

The New York Times has today written 700 honed words about the Ng case -- on the interesting gilded cage angle but without for now mentioning the UN much less Ban Ki-moon, of whom other bribery in New York is being alleged in the South Korea media. In fact, Ban was already selling the UN as far back as 2009:

From October 23, 2009, this Inner City Press report concerning Ng Lap Seng's partner Frank Liu, buying the UN under “unblemished” Ban Ki-moon:

“UNITED NATIONS, October 23 -- After announcing Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's participation in a UN Day concert later in the day, Ban's Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq declined to answer Inner City Press' questions about whether the concert's sponsors, including the World Harmony Foundation, Frank Liu and/or the World Eminence Chinese Business Forum, had receive payments from businessmen, and if any of these were scheduled for photo-op with Mr. Ban.

Haq, in a nearly empty noon press briefing with no time constraints, nevertheless said that the questions would be answered at another press conference on Friday afternoon, "if you are there." ... An October 23 press release by the World Harmony Foundation states that "Secretary General Ban Ki-moon... tolled the bell signifying world harmony."

The press release was handed to Inner City Press at a surreal breakfast forum held by the WECBA and Frank Liu in Room 6 of the UN's Delegates' Dining Room. A businessman receiving an award stood at the front at a podium with the UN flag and intoned, "please remember that Chinese businessmen are the kindest people in the world."

Another speaker said that more people dying every year from obesity than hunger, and urged those in the audience not to eat too much. The Ambassador of the Dominican Republic urged the assembled businessmen to join the UN Global Compact.”

That would be Francis Lorenzo, of South South News, who has pleaded guilty. (Under Gallach, South South News still has its UN office, while Inner City Press reporting on it remains evicted).

In late November a superceding indictment has been filed which makes Gallach's malfeasance even clearer. The indictment now includes the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and specifies that South South News (NGO-1), which Gallach has left in its office while evicting Inner City Press which asked her about her connection to them, paid Ng Lap Seng's assistant in cash in order to evade taxes.

The “honorary president” of South South News, who has pleaded guilty, was also involved in tax evasion. How corrupt can the UN be, to take no action on this bribery and tax evasion which corrupted the UN, while eviciting and restricting the investigative Press which asked about it? Gallach Must Go.

Earlier in November, a person charged along with Ng Lap Seng, Jeffrey Yin, has made a motion to suppress what he said when arrested in September 2015. His motion says among other things that he was awake for more than 24 hours. Whether it would furhter push back Ng's trial, already put beyond the time when Ban Ki-moon, on whose watch it happened and whose Secretariat including Gallach bear responsibility, is not yet known.

   Even in January, Antonio Guterres will have taken over from Ban Ki-moon. Will Guterres move past Ban Ki-moon's only partial cooperation -- and Ban's and Gallach's retaliation against Inner City Press for having dug into each of their roles in the scandal since October 2015? In that month, Inner City Press asked Gallach about her role in the South South Awards with South South News' Francis Lorenzo. Video here.

In February 2016, on the thinnest of pretexts and without once speaking with Inner City Press, Gallach ordered it out of the UN on two hours notice, then evicted its long time office in April. South South News, described in the case as a conduit for bribery, remains in its office, never asking any quesitons at the UN, like Egyptian state media Akhbar al Yom to which Gallach purports to give Inner City Press' office.

Gallach herself must go - but will she? How, for example, would the laudable ideal of gender parity apply to incompetent or corrupt holdover official? We'll have more on all this.

On August 23, 2016, the International Day for the Remembrance of Slavery and its Abolition, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, UN transcript here and below.

On October 14, a letter was filed in the Southern District of New York about “UN production” - or lack thereof. It states: “ Mr. Ng’s counsel reports that on October 7, 2016, the UN produced approximately 61 documents to Mr. Ng’s defense team. It is clear that there are additional requested materials that have not yet been produced, and Mr. Ng’s defense team is in discussions with the UN’s counsel, Daniel Gitner, Esq., to facilitate such production. Mr. Ng remains optimistic that such production will be completed in sufficient time to prepare for his defense, and that the January 23, 2017 trial date need not be adjourned because of any delays in UN production.”

On October 19, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's outgoing spokesman Stephane Dujarric if the UN was ordered by authorities, to summarize the 61 documents and who Gitlin is: in house or outside counsel? Dujarric did not answer any of these questions, much less any update on why he and Gallach had Inner City Press evicted and now restricted while taking no action on South South News, named in the court papers as a conduit for UN bribery. Or does that question answer itself?

On September 8, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric about developments in the Ng Lap Seng case, and if the UN was cooperating in any way. Vine here; UN transcript here:

Inner City Press: I wanted to ask about the Ng Lap Seng case. Assuming that the UN is tracking it, as it's expanded, they're now asking about other individuals beyond Ng Lap Seng, but one of the guys is Mr. Qin, Q-I-N, and he's quoted in the Macau press as saying that he also was a partner in South-South News. I know you said from here many times there's some sort of a review. Are you following this case to see what…

Spokesman: Yes, we're very much following the case. As we've said, our… the UN is cooperating with the relevant authorities here in the… judicial authorities in the United States.

ICP Question: There was a request by Ng Lap Seng's lawyers for certain documents from the UN. They wrote to the head of OLA (Office of Legal Affairs) and asked for them. Have any of those documents been provided?
Spokesman: As I said, we are cooperating with the authorities. Any requests that come from the authorities will be studied and given due consideration.

So the UN would only consider helping if ordered - and might not, even then. This is impunity -and cover up.

From August 23:

Inner City Press: in the audit of the Ng Lap Seng/John Ashe case, there’s a paragraph on the failure to do due diligence on the ceremony of the Ark of Return outside. And I’ve asked before, but I wanted to ask now after all this time, how much money did Ng Lap Seng, still on trial for bribery, commit at that event? And what repercussions, what accountability, on that event and on the audit generally, have taken place…?

Spokesman: I think… we’ve asked this question… you’ve asked this question before. The audit and its recommendations were taken up seriously by all the Departments named. As for the… for the ceremony, I think you’d have to ask the organizers.

But the organizers are indicted; some like the GSF's Sheri Yan have pleaded guilty and been sentenced to 20 months in prison. Ask them? Or ask Gallach, who never spoke to Inner City Press before ousting it, and now hasn't even as Inner City Press is excluded from covering event without a minder, while the media Gallach's DPI is trying to give Inner City Press' long time shared office to, Akhbar Al Yom, never comes in, never asks questions? Ask whom? More from the transcript:

Inner City Press: so what’s the status of the recommendation that had to do with due diligence…

Spokesman: They’re all being… they’re all being fulfilled.

   We'll have more on this.

On June 29, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Farhan Haq about it , video here , UN transcript here and below.

On August 11, lawyers for Ng Lap Seng filed in Federal court their formal demand to the UN and Ban Ki-moon's chief lawyer Manuel de Serpa Soares to produce a slew of financial and other information, including all of its communications with South South News.

SSN is described in the file, by the prosecution, as a vehicle of bribery but the UN has left it in its office -- a conflict of interest -- while evicting Inner City Press which asked questions about it. Ban Ki-moon's UN is corrupt. We'll have more on this.

On July 29 Shiwei Yan a/k/a Sheri Yan was sentenced to 20 months in prison, was fined $12,500 and forfeited $300,000. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's press release, here.

On August 1, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's deputy spokeman Farhan Haq, UN Transcript here:

Inner City Press: This has to do with the sentencing of Sherri Yan in the John Ashe-Ng Lap Seng case on Friday and she was sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, $300,000 of forfeiture, and Judge Broderick said the case, which is an ongoing case, has damaged the UN. So, I wanted to know, given that the case is about bribery within the UN and given the judge's statement, what is your comment on the sentencing and the continuation, continuing of the case?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, we don't have any particular comment on the sentencing. Of course, we have been following this process and we have been sharing information that is relevant; but, from our standpoint, what we need to do is get to the bottom of what happened here to make sure that UN officials are not tainted by this and that ultimately everyone knows that no officials, whether Member States or otherwise, should be participating in these sorts of activities.

Including Ban Ki-moon? As this player in on UN scandal was sentenced, the UN outright stonewalled on basic Press questions about a news scandal, while having evicted the questioning Press and confining it to minders. Then it said the event was canceled as a basis to answer no questions.

This is Ban Ki-moon's UN: Ban attended Sheri Yan's father's one person art show, had his photo taken at it. See here.

Ban and Yan's bio, credit via photo links

The UN claims the Ng Lap Seng and Sheri Yan case has nothing to do with it or especially Ban, who wants to run for President of South Korea. But this is false.

Ban is allowing new privatization of the UN, through UN Security; his spokesman is trying to discourage questions about it by accusing Inner City Press of “unethical Googling,” after having played a role in ousting and evicting Inner City Press. This is Ban's UN.

From the July 11 order in the Ng Lap Seng case:

"Defendant Ng and his counsel, with CJA counsel Mr. Wikstrom, and counsel for the Government, are instructed to appear for the conclusion of the Curcio hearing on Monday, July 18, 2016 at 10:00 a.m... Trial is set to commence on January 23, 2017." While Team Ban Ki-moon might be happy the formal trial doesn't begin until Ban leaves the UN and, some say, his formal run for South Korea president does, there will be more files development before then.

In Federal Court, there more links between South South News, still with a UN official from Ban Ki-moon as Inner City Press while investigating it was evicted, and bribery in the United Nations. On July 8, Inner City Press asked Ban's deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, video here, UN Transcript here:

Inner City Press: There's been new filings in the Ng Lap Seng case in the Southern District, and since you'd said previously that the UN is monitoring this, these filings have to do directly with South-South News. And they quote… they have put into the record a letter in which South-South News is described as wanting to have part of this Macau Centre that was the… the thing that Ng Lap Seng was trying to procure these documents for. It's described as a global media platform authorized by the UN. And they put these in as… as essentially saying that this is a conduit for bribery. So, I wanted to know: Since you've said that the UN is monitoring this, given that the prosecutor [inaudible] has put this… this letter, I guess they got it in discovery or in some other fashion in, what is the UN's response to it?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, like I said, we have been monitoring it and are looking at all of the information that's coming up. And in that regard, as you know, there's an ongoing review of the status of South-South News. There's no conclusion to that review at this point.

Inner City Press: And I'd asked on Tuesday. I'd asked Stéphane in writing… there was a meeting held down in 1D Basement, DPI [Department of Public Information] and something called the Malko Investment Group. And since I googled Malko Investment Group and nothing came up, I sent him an e-mail and asked what is this entity and why is this meeting being held in the UN? And I wanted to reiterate to you, why would DPI be having a meeting in a UN meeting room with an investment group and particularly one that doesn't… that's either misnamed on the sign or doesn't exist at all?

Deputy Spokesman: I'm not aware of the circumstances of the meeting. I will check with DPI, what they have to say about that. But, at this stage, I'm not… I'm not aware whether they're the sponsor of that… of that particular meeting or not.

Inner City Press: There's a picture of the sign. I mean, I wrote to you.

Deputy Spokesman: I'm not aware of the details of whether they're the actual sponsors. Sometimes meetings are set up by Member States’ organizations. We'd have to check.

Haq did not return with any answer from due diligence-less DPI. From the prosecutor's new letter:

"in an email dated on or about March 12, 2010, an individual affiliated with the State Council Information Office, an entity of the PRC government, sent an email to a business associate of Ng, containing a draft letter (in Chinese) for Ng to sign or approve. According to a draft translation prepared by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), the letter, which began with Ng introducing himself as a member of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (“CPPCC”), a political advisory body, and as the “Chairman of the Board of the United Nations South South News,” stated in pertinent part:

[quote] my greatest wish is to fairly and objectively report the social development, religion, culture, and ideology of China through the South South News, a global media platform authorized by the UN, to display China’s soft power, counter malicious, distorted news by anti-China forces, and let the whole world hear a true voice that comes from China to understand the real China. . . .

. . . I will select suitable regions in China to establish a South South Cooperation Organization International Conference Center and a South South News Network Media Production Center as a base of operations for South South News.

Hope that the plan to establish two centers and the development of South South News in China can obtain strong support from the government of China. [unquote]

As the Court is aware, South South News, the entity described in the above email, is the conduit through which the Government alleges that defendants Ng and Jeff C. Yin funneled some of their bribe and money laundering payments.”

   So it says South South News was “authorized” by the UN; the prosecution says Ng and Yin used South South News as a conduit for bribery in the UN. And as of July 8, South South News still has its UN official from Ban Ki-moon as Inner City Press while investigating it was evicted and is now restricted to only cover events on the UN Conference Building's second floor -- ECOSOC and the Trusteeship Council Chambers, the General Assembly and General Assembly President's office -- with one of Ban Ki-moon's minders. This is Ban's UN.

On Syria, ICP Asks Churkin If Ahrar al-Sham and Jaysh al-Islam Are In Deal, Of Haftar in Libya

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, December 30 -- When Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin announced on Friday December 30 that he hoped for a unanimous vote on New Year's Eve on a resolution endorsing his country's and Turkey's ceasefire plan in Syria, Inner City Press asked him which groups are included. Video here. https://youtu.be/WYLe1wZHb84 From the Mission transcript:

Inner city Press: It is reported that Ahrar al-Sham have some reservations about the deal. Are Jaysh al-Islam also are part of the deal?

Churkin: The counting of the groups is very complicated, as you know. Our understanding is that 7 major groups have joined in this arrangement. Staffan de Mistura, as you know, counted as many as 98 different groups fighting in Syria. The relationship between those groups is sometimes very complicated, but the thing is that in those documents there are 13 armed groups who delegated two gentlemen who are named in the annex to the documents, who are delegated the authority to sign the agreement on their behalf, which they did. The agreement about forming the delegation of the opposition. So, by our account, those groups represent 60,000 fighters and they control a large chunk of the territory of Syria.

Inner City Press also asked Churkin about Libya and he praised Haftar: see end of video, not transcribed. The Syria vote is set for December 31 at 11 am. Watch this site.

After the failure of two previous resolutions on Syria, New Zealand on October 13 circulated a draft resolution, which Inner City Press published that day, here.

On December 18, France convened consultations to then, it said, vote on its draft resolution about Aleppo.

But three and a half hours later, the meeting broke up without a vote. Instead, another meeting was set for Monday 9 am to vote it through. See, https://youtu.be/ZN2ey1HOQbw

On December 19, as predicted, the modified resolution was voted through, 15-0. Afterward Syria's Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari came to the Council stakeout and, among other things, named people he called foreign intelligence agents trying to flee Eastern Aleppo.

Inner City Press asked him, as it had UK deputy ambassador Peter Wilson, about those trapped in Kefraya and al-Foua and the busses meant to evacuate them that were burned.

Ja'afari said that 25 busses were burned, the drivers taken hostage and three of them killed. When US Ambassador Samantha Power did a stakeout, the questions were pre-picked (Turkish state media, US state media, Japanese media to urge Japan to vote for South Sudan sanctions, sign of the Times).

On Syria Power ran through a litany of other besieged cities without mention Kefraya and al-Foua, much less the busses. But the omission(s) on South Sudan, particularly on Inner City Press question about the UN arming warlord James Koang, were also troubling, and less covered.

We'll be following up - even after UN thugs grabbed, three and smashed Inner City Press' live-Periscope camera. We note that those involved in the censorship, demanding to know "what do you do for Aleppo," were not at the UN on December 18...

On the way in on December 18, Russian Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin said, "We cannot allow it to pass," called it unrealistic. Periscope here - 36 hours after UN thugs grabbed and smashed Inner City Press' Periscoping phone as it broadcast including about Aleppo. https://youtu.be/UqF8vLE8afg & https://www.periscope.tv/w/1OwxWnZzbjeJQ#

France's Permanent Representative Francois Delattre, when he came in, said there would be no further compromise. US Permanent Representative Samantha Power told the press she'd make her comments "in the Chamber."

Inner City Press asked UK Deputy Permanent Representative Peter Wilson about photos of busses meant to evacuate Foua and Kefraya being burned. The UK's answer was that they've seen the reports and condemn any attack, that that it's no excuse...

But isn't it all connected?

Then in consultations, Russia circulated it own draft...

Consultations were suspended and diplomats milled around, using cell phones...

On December 13 a Security Council meeting was scheduled for noon about Aleppo. The UN canceled its noon briefing, for the second day in a row; questions about Yemen, Myanmar and Burundi could not be asked (anyway Ban Ki-moon's spokespeople no longer answer).

But in the Security Council chamber, Russia's Vitaly Churkin mocked Samantha Power for speaking as if she were Mother Theresa. By the same Syria's Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari spoke, not only Power but then also her deputy Michele Sison, previously the US ambassador to Sri Lanka, another killing zone on which the US did nothing, made a point of walking out. Mother Theresa indeed.

Afterward Inner City Press sought to asked UN envoy Staffan de Mistura a question. He seemed to have pegged Inner City Press, saying he knew Inner City Press would ask him if he was resigning.

(Actually, our question has been about his previously hiring Ban Ki-moon's son in law Siddharth Chatterjee, whom Ban has more recently promoted to the top UN job in Kenya without recusing himself. But we digress).

Inner City Press asked de Mistura about Palmyra -- he said some 20% of the population remains -- and if he had in fact managed or scheduled to meet Team Trump. He'd said he aimed to; now he told Inner City Press he would have no comment since Trump has yet to take office.

From the UN's transcript:

Inner City Press Q. In Palymra, what is the status of civilians? And also, is there any update on your desire to meet with the team of the incoming US president. Have you met with them or will you do so this week?

SdeM. Regarding Palmyra, the issue is very confused at the moment because as you know ISIL, or Daesh, has been actually taking over the city by surprise, with a substantial number of fighters. The population to a large degree, according to the government, has been evacuated just in time, they were not that many so it probably did take place. But there is a concern for those who have not been able to be evacuated which is about 20 percent of the population at the time. What we hear is the intension of fighting back and retaking Palmyra. But what is shocking and surprising and worrisome is that they were actually able to do so, having lost the control of Palmyra. Regarding meetings with the President-elect team, our line is not to comment on it, because it is an informal environment given that the President-elect is not yet in charge and his whole team is not totally there. Whatever meetings with may be taking place and have taken place I will make no comments on that.

What changed? Is it that Ban hasn't been able to get a meeting? Ban later on December 13 was set to meet New York City's Mayor Bill De Blasio.

Back on November 23 Inner City Press was informed of an “Egyptian draft put in blue on Aleppo,” which would demand a “ten day humanitarian pause around Aleppo with 72 hours advance notice.”

This draft went through a number of changes before it was double-vetoed on December 5. Inner City Press has learned that language included for a time in the draft, distinguishing between designated terrorist groups ISIS, Nabhat al Nusra and aliases and other armed groups was opposed - by Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Qatar in particular.

Diplomats expressed a mixture of surprise and disgust, given the separate public push for action in the General Assembly. Inner City Press waited at the UN Security Council stakeout on December 8 to try to ask UN envoy Stephane de Mistura about all this.

But de Mistura and his spokesman had already chosen from whom they would take questions - don't forget that de Mistura similarly “selected” Ban Ki-moon's son in law Siddharth Chatterjee for a promotion as his chief of staff in Iraq, buying his way in a la Jan Mattson. And none of the selected questions touched on this. Ban doesn't need promotions for his son in law anymore, having promoted him without recusal himself to the top UN job in Kenya.

Meanwhile de Mistura says he will mean with some in Trump's team, Monday or Tuesday. Will the UN's Yemen envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed? Watch this site.

On December 4 the amended draft was put on the UN Security Council's agenda for Monday, December 5 at 2 pm. While Inner City Press covered the meeting as it has previous Syria session of the Security Council, two UN Security officers ordered it to leave. It was noting but targeting: other photographers weren't even asked why they were there, much less given orders.

Just past noon on December 5, a closed door consultations was scheduled for 1:45 pm. At that time, the glass door to the Security Council stakeout was locked and Inner City Press, due to restrictions imposed on it by Ban Ki-moon and his chief of “Public Information” Cristina Gallach, could not reach it. Later it did, and Periscoped the Permanent Representatives of the UK and France, here.

After 2 pm, everyone filed into the the Chamber. Russia's Permanent Representative Vitaly Churkin said the vote shouldn't be taken, because the draft had only been put “in blue” at 11:20 am. He said waiting the seemingly required 24 hours would allow for meetings in Geneva discussed by the US and Russia.

But the US, by its deputy Michele Sison and not its Permanent Representative Samantha Power - whose permanence expired on January 21 is not before - said the vote should go forward. Churkin said the US Mission was trying to topple something discussed with John Kerry, also outgoing.

When the voting occurred, not only Russia but also China and Venezuela voted no, and Angola abstained. Photo here. Then the speeches started.

Surprisingly, China took a right of reply against the US; deputy Sison purported to reply but did not do so directly. She left the meeting.

During the speeches, suddenly the door to the photo booth opened. Come out, a UN Security officer told Inner City Press, ignoring the other photographer in the booth. Out in the hall, missing the speeches, the officer said again and again, "You're not supposed to be in there... Close the door." Audio here.

Out in the hall a second UN Security officer, who previously followed Inner City Press around saying its backpack was too big, also said to leave. Inner City Press said, “This is targeting” - and one of the officers said, “You're disturbing the meeting.” Who's disturbing the meeting? This is censorship.

Ban Ki-moon Sold UN To Businessmen 2009, Ng Lap Seng Trial 2017

By Matthew Russell Lee, Thirteenth in a Series

UNITED NATIONS, December 30 -- In the final days of Ban Ki-moon's decade as UN Secretary General, covering up genocides in Sri Lanka, Burundi and Yemen and evicting the Press which asked about (t)his corruption, Inner City Press is reviewing Ban's end, year by year. See also this Twitter Moment.

And now Ban threatens to sue, for ambition.

In that connection, Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric was quoted, “Ban Ki-moon has lived his whole life, especially during his distinguished career as a public servant both in the Republic of Korea and at the United Nations, with unblemished honesty and integrity.”

UNblemished? Well, beyond nepotism there is a UN bribery case pending in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York, accusing Macau-based businessman Ng Lap Seng of bribery in the UN including two improper events allowed without due diligence by the UN's Cristina Gallach, who ousted, evicted and is restricting Inner City Press.

And, from October 23, 2009, this Inner City Press report concerning Ng Lap Seng's partner Frank Liu, buying the UN under “unblemished” Ban Ki-moon:

“UNITED NATIONS, October 23 -- After announcing Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's participation in a UN Day concert later in the day, Ban's Associate Spokesperson Farhan Haq declined to answer Inner City Press' questions about whether the concert's sponsors, including the World Harmony Foundation, Frank Liu and/or the World Eminence Chinese Business Forum, had receive payments from businessmen, and if any of these were scheduled for photo-op with Mr. Ban.

Haq, in a nearly empty noon press briefing with no time constraints, nevertheless said that the questions would be answered at another press conference on Friday afternoon, "if you are there." ... An October 23 press release by the World Harmony Foundation states that "Secretary General Ban Ki-moon... tolled the bell signifying world harmony."

The press release was handed to Inner City Press at a surreal breakfast forum held by the WECBA and Frank Liu in Room 6 of the UN's Delegates' Dining Room. A businessman receiving an award stood at the front at a podium with the UN flag and intoned, "please remember that Chinese businessmen are the kindest people in the world."

Another speaker said that more people dying every year from obesity than hunger, and urged those in the audience not to eat too much. The Ambassador of the Dominican Republic urged the assembled businessmen to join the UN Global Compact.”

That would be Francis Lorenzo, of South South News, who has pleaded guilty. (Under Gallach, South South News still has its UN office, while Inner City Press reporting on it remains evicted). Watch this site.