By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, January 18 – Ban Ki-moon left the UN on January 1 and tellingly his first move was to take legal action against the press. Before he left, he named his own son in law Siddarth Chatterjee to the top UN top in Kenya.
Just as Ban left his brother and his nephew Dennis Bahn, of whom Inner City Press has asked Ban's UN spokespeople since at latest May 2015, were indicted for bribery. Bahn was described using his family connections - Ban Ki-moon - to try to sell real estate in Vietnam.
Inner City Press' questions to Ban's longtime spokesman Stephane Dujarric were referred to a Ban supporter in Seoul, Lee Do-woon, at a number which was never answered. On January 17, after Inner City Press appeared on TBS radio in South Korea about Ban's corruption and censorship, Dujarric provided a number for a second spokesman: Yoon Won-joong.
After speaking with him, Inner City Press on January 18 asked UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, video here, UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: I guess it was Stéphane Dujarric that sent the phone number of a second Ban Ki-moon Spokesman. I did speak to him, but in fact, the coverage there is giving rise to a question I have to ask you as the UN. There’s a story in today’s Korea Times, the title of which is “Prosecutors say Ban Ki-moon was ‘indeed on bribery list.’” And it describes a list that was provided by Mr Park of Taekwang Industry, saying he had given money to Ban Ki-moon during the time frame that he was Secretary-General. So the question becomes… there are… obviously, there are questions to Ban Ki-moon there. The question becomes, when did South Korean prosecutors -- because this article says that what would have held them up was… was immunity, that, as Secretary-General, they would be unclear whether they could even question him or go… or look into this matter. Was the UN contacted by the prosecutors about this Park list? And, if so, what did they do?
Deputy Spokesman: No, I don’t have any comment on that.
Inner City Press: It’s a UN question. I mean, do you acknowledge… because I talked to the guy for about five minutes yesterday, but he said those are UN questions.
Deputy Spokesman: I don’t actually have any comment on this.
Deputy Spokesman: No, I don’t have any comment on that.
Inner City Press: It’s a UN question. I mean, do you acknowledge… because I talked to the guy for about five minutes yesterday, but he said those are UN questions.
Deputy Spokesman: I don’t actually have any comment on this.
Well, the UN will have to. We'll have more on this.
