By Matthew Russell Lee, 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.
Now beyond Ban's nepotism at the UN - promoting his own son in law, having his brother Ki-ho drum up business in Myanmar war zones as part of a “UN delegation” and his nephew use his and the UN's name in real estate deals - it has been reported that Ban while Secretary General accepted $30,000 in cash from a businessman.
Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric has issued a blanket denial -- which left out the allegation Ban received cash while UN Secretary General -- and has refused Inner City Press' simple factual follow up questions, about when Ban last spoke with the asserted briber.
On December 30 Inner City Press asked Dujarric and Ban's two other top spokespeople “for a simple statement of Ban Ki-moon's net worth when he took over as UNSG in 2007 and as he leaves (or back to December 31, 2016). This should be provided today.”
But Dujarric after a garish farewell to Ban event shut down the spokesperson's office, for the day and seemingly the year and Ban's term, without answering this. Ban's vague UN disclosures including four Kookmin Bank announced in 2011, gone by 2014, the most recent filing Ban made. This is UNacceptable. Watch this site.
Inner City Press on December 27 asked Ban's top three spokespeople about this:
"Please state the date and separately content of the Secretary General last three communications with Park Yeon-cha or any other official or employee of Taekwang."
While Ban's spokespeople have refused to answer this and 18 other Inner City Press questions, Stephane Dujarric has abused his ongoing UN role by issuing a legal threat about the Taekwang / Park Yeon-cha story, demanding from the initial publisher an official apology or the UN will have to pursue further necessary measures.
Who is Stephane Dujarric to threaten to sue? For the UN? For Ban Ki-moon's campaign?
On the morning of December 29, Inner City Press submitted five questions to Dujarric and his deputy, including
"As a matter of press freedom, please explain any warning, requests or threats made by the UN to media in connection with their reporting on Ban Ki-moon and alleged corruption, including but limited to allusion to pursuing further necessary measures. On whose behalf were these sent - the UN? Ban Ki-moon personally? Please release all such communications, to understand any use of UN resources to intimidate media coverage."
Five hours later, still no answers, Inner City Press went in and picked up the piece of paper on the counter - and was told not to take it. Despite being paid for no answers, apparently they can't afford a single photocopy. The person listed was Mathias Gillmann, who when Inner City Press asked about the 19 unanswered questions said, “Stephane is working on it, that's all I know.”
Working how?
Working how?
By refusing to do his job as spokesperson at the UN and answer questions, on this same scandal as well as on Burundi, Gambia, Mali, South Sudan and Myanmar, where Ban Ki-moon's brother Ki-ho does business in war zones?
On the morning of December 30, 19 hours after the above-quoted question was submitted, Dujarric provided a response (and overall, two and one half responses to 19 questions over three days). We publish it in full, as received:
"NO THREATS WERE MADE. I DID HOWEVER WRITE TO A PUBLICATION WHICH HAD PUBLISHED A BASELESS AND GROUNDLESS ARTICLE ALLEGING THAT BAN KI-MOON HAD RECEIVED CASH PAY-OFFS PRIOR TO BECOMING SECRETARY-GENERAL. WRITING TO A PUBLICATION TO EXPRESS DISSATISFACTION WITH AN ARTICLE IS NOT UNCOMMON."
First, the published report said that Ban Ki-moon received at least one cash pay-off WHILE Secretary General, which should trigger a UN Office of Internal Oversight inquiry.
Second, the publication in question told Inner City Press that "Stephane Dujarric sent us an e-mail denying all the story and requesting our official apology. Stephans also said if we don't take the actions promptly, UN will have to pursue further necessary measures."
So that's a threat. This is why Inner City Press and the Free UN Coalition for Access, as a matter of press freedom, are asking the UN to release Dujarric letter(s), in full. Watch this site.
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.
By 2008, Inner City Press asked Ban, here, "about the responsibility of private corporations doing business in Myanmar, giving the specific example of South Korea's Daewoo and its deal with Myanmar Oil and Gas. I cannot comment on specifics, Ban said, adding that 'whoever has influence' should try to convince Myanmar to improve its record."
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.
And here, taken offline after inquiry but tweeted by Inner City Press, is a photo of Ban Ki-ho in Myanmar, for magnesium, under the banner Korea - Myanmar CEOs Partnership Plaza.
On the morning of December 27, a UN work day, Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's three top spokespeople questions including
"please state the business activities in Myanmar of Ban Ki-moon's brother Ban Ki-ho, not only through KD Power which your Office has stated it understands Ban Ki-ho has left, but also through Bosung Powertec and any other company and again, all details of the “UN delegation” the link regarding which Inner City Press has previously provided your office in early November"
and
"Please state the date and separately content of the Secretary General last three communications with Park Yeon-cha or any other official or employee of Taekwang."
More than a full day later, there were no answers, not even a confirmation of receipt. On the morning of December 28 on this Inner City Press asked Ban Ki-moon's full paid Office of the Spokesperson:
"please definitely state that dates on which Ban Ki-moon's brother Ban Ki-ho began and if applicable ended employment with Bosung Powertec and KD Power or any of their affiliates, and during those time frames the companies' business activities in Myanmar."
Five hours later, the spokespeople sheepishly closed their office and left, no answers. Having received calls from media in South Korea who have falsely been told that Bosung Powertec does no business in Myanmar, that there was no UN delegation, Inner City Press now publishes this:
Evidence (in a UN publication) of Bosung Powertec's involvement in Myanmar:
http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/unctad_ asean_air2016d1.pdf
Annex 5.6. Selected Korean MSMEs (page 241)Myanmar Bosung Powertec Co, Ltd Electronics and electric equipment and components
Here is evidence of both Bosung Powertec and Ban Ki-ho's "previous" employer KD Power involved in Myanmar
http://english.etnews.com/news/article.html?id= 20130911200006
Power instrument makers rush off to Myanmar, a land of opportunity
Yoo Chang-seon Sep 11, 2013Small and medium power instrument makers are continually entering the Myanmarese market in order to take the Myanmarese government’s long-term power development plan as a business opportunity.Bosung Power entered into a contract to supply power transmission tower manufacturing facilities in 2009 and 2011 with MEC, a Myanmarese national steel company, and has already set foot into the market. Following a Myanmarese branch establishment in 2011, the company is promoting the local market entry in full swing. Recently, Bosung Power is preparing a site for its own production plant in an area at a 1.5-hour driving distance from Yangon.KD Power has been promoting to supply photovoltaic power generation system and DC household appliances since May to suburban areas of Myanmar where the power supply conditions are poor.
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.
This was Ban's e arly 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.
