By Matthew Russell Lee Patreon Periscope Song
BBC - Decrypt - LightRead - Honduras - Thread
SDNY Courthouse, Feb 9 – UN former staff member Karim Elkorany was arrested then freed on $500,000 bond on September 2 in connection with drugging and raping women in Iraq while working for the UN in 2016, then allegedly lying to the FBI about it in 2017.
A superseding indictment belatedly unsealed on October 29 said Elkorany raped a UN contractor, in the US and Dohuk, Iraq. And still the UN did nothing.
On November 9, another brief status conference in the case, which Inner City Press live tweeted:
AUSA Richenthal says the US is reviewing more electronic devices.
Elkorany's lawyer Dawn Cardi asks for 90 more days' delay, since some of the discovery is marked "Restricted."
Judge Buchwald: In the times of COVID, to maintain social distance between lawyer and defendant, 90 days is not unreasonable. We are heading into the end of the year period, very different this year. I ask you to make sure that the 90 days is all the time needed
And so February 9 at 10:30 am was arrived at. And Inner City Press again covered it, here: (Podcast here)
Elkorany's lawyer wants to delay 90 days.
The Assistant US Attorney says given the victims in this case they want to move faster.
Elkorany's lawyer says she has some state trials so she need more time.
Now AUSA says 30 days to respond to defense's motions. That would be June 10. And see here.
Inner City Press, which has asked the UN in writing for comment, will continue to cover it.
The US Attorney for the Southern District of New York stated that Elkorany, "a former communications specialist with the United Nations in Iraq, was charged in an Indictment in Manhattan federal court with two counts of making false statements to special agents of the FBI in an effort to conceal his drugging and sexual assault of multiple women while he worked for the UN...In or around December 2016, Victim-1 reported the sexual assault to the UN. The UN initiated an investigation, through which ELKORANY was notified of the substance of Victim-1’s allegations against him."
The UN claims it has a zero tolerance and blacklisting policy for sexual abuse, but despite a victim complaining to the UN in this case, on Wednesday Elkorany was leaving freely in New Jersey when he was arrested.
The superseding indict which was intially wrongly kept under seal says Elkorany raped Victim-2, a UN contractor, in Dohuk, Iraq and in the US. So the UN's inaction contributed to the rape of a UN contractor - and still NOTHING from the UN of Antonio Guterres. We'll have more on this.
On September 16 the US Attorney's Office, already under fire for withholding information, filed a Protective Order to withhold from the Press and public information about this UN official's "names and/or other identifying information or photographs of individuals alleged to have been sexually assaulted and/or drugged by the defendant or with whom the defendant had a romantic or physical relationship; (b) non-public nude, semi-nude, or sexualized photographs," if it has been " provided to the Government by the United Nations." So the UN has been producing pornography, and is not itself indicted, only this Elkorany? We'll have more on this.
On September 2 after 6 pm, as exclusively reported by Inner City Press which has been banned from the UN for its questions, was released on a bond to be signed by his father and brother, but allowed to leave home to work from 8 am to 6 pm.
There was another proceeding on September 10, before District Judge Naomi Reice Bulkwald. Inner City Press live tweeted it, here:
Elkorany's lawyer has not responded to the US Attorney's proposed protective order. Note: little in this case should be withheld or sealed - it is about spending public's money for a UN staffer to drug and rape women in Iraq, then have the UN cover it up.
AUSA Pomerantz: There are cell phone and laptops that the FBI is in the process of extracting. [What will they show about the UN of @AntonioGuterres ? ]
Since the cell phones and devices are being extracted to produce discovery, next date is November 9, 11:45 am. Inner City Press will continue to cover this case and the UN.
Then in the docket, this: "Pretrial Conference as to Karim Elkorany held on 9/10/2020. Initial conference as to Karim Elkorany held by telephone on 9/10/2020. Lara Pomerantz, Amanda Houle and Daniel Richenthal for the government; Dawn Cardi for the defendant; Defendant Karim Elkorany; court reporter present. Conference scheduled for November 9, 2020 at 11:45a.m. Speedy trial time excluded until November 9, 2020."
Inner City Press also covered the September 2, 6:20 pm presentment of Elkorany, here:
Elkorany is represented by Dawn Cardi of Cardi & Edgar LLP of 99 Madison Avenue.
Judge Cott: I take it you are retained, Ms. Cardi?
Cardi: I am.
Judge Cott: Mr Elkorany, if you are a citizen of another country you may have a right to consular notification.
Cardi: He pleads not guilty.
Judge Cott: First, confirm you are waiving a public reading.
Cardi: Correct.
AUSA Houle: "The parties have a proposed bail package. A $500,000 personal recognizance bond co-signed by his father Awny ELkorany and brother Nor Elkorany. Surrender of all passports by five pm tomorrow. Home detention at parents' home.
AUSA Houle: He can leave 8 am to 6 pm for work.
AUSA Houle: Refrain from any contact with victims. Drug testing and treatment as directed by Pre Trial Services. Release today provided he is fitted for GPS which we understand Pre Trial is prepared to do.
AUSA Houle: Dan Richenthal has confirmed they can do it. Richenthal: Officer Trale (sp) told me it would be possible to 5 pm. So I'm not positive.
Judge Cott: What do you want to do? Cardi: I am proposing he return home and return tomorrow morning.
Cardi: The suretors probably can't sign today either.
Judge Cott: When was he arrested?
AUSA Houle: 6 am this morning.
Cardi: My client does not have his phone and no money to get back to New Jersey. Can someone lend him the money?
Judge Cott: I cannot deal with minutia like this right now.
Elkorany was listed as a UN "Communications Specialist" -- Fleming's forte -- on press releases about Toyota, here. He was interviewed on UN Radio, here. But of course, UN Spokesperson Staphane Dujarric claims he knows nothing about it and that Guterres has a "principled position."
Inner City Press is asking the UN, On UN staffer Karim Elkorany, indicted in SDNY for lying to FBI about drugging and raping women while working for UN in Iraq, immediately state what the outcome of the victim complaining to the UN was - and why Elkorany was back at liberty in New Jersey.
This is specifically asked in the context of this statement: "UNDP participates in a joint project with other UN agencies to maintain a system-wide database called "Clear Check" to ensure that former personnel involved in substantiated cases of sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse with one entity in the UN system cannot be employed by another entity." So what did the UN actually do, other than transport a rapist from New Jersey to Iraq then bringing him home to live free?
The case is US v. Elkorany, 20-cr-437 (Buchwald). Watch this site.
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