OIOS Did Nothing UN Corruption in Central African Republic UNDT Case Shows Why

OIOS Did Nothing UN Corruption in Central African Republic UNDT Case Shows Why by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack UN GATE / Bangui, May 11 – How corrupt is today's UN under Antonio Guterres? Consider MINUSCA in the Central African Republic, on which UN spokespeople Stephane Dujarric and Melissa Fleming have refused all Press questions.   OIOS failed on this one, and now we can show another reason why. Recent tribunal judgments have further exposed serious concerns regarding professional standards, accountability, and ethical conduct within the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). In UNAT Judgment No. 2026-UNAT-1623, the Tribunal recorded that:  “Beginning on 2 August 2013, Ms. Likukela … started spending the transferred funds.”  The judgment further noted that:  “you have refused to return and/or make arrangements for the return to the United Nations Federal Credit Union (‘UNFCU’) of funds totaling USD 487,216.20, despite UNFCU’s demand and your awareness that the funds were erroneously transferred to your account.”  This case raises broader institutional concerns regarding recruitment standards, ethical judgment, and professional accountability within OIOS itself, particularly where the misconduct involved an OIOS staff member entrusted with oversight responsibilities. When individuals responsible for enforcing integrity standards become subjects of serious misconduct findings, it inevitably damages staff confidence in the independence, competence, credibility, and moral authority of the investigative system.  Such developments reinforce growing calls for comprehensive OIOS reform under the UN80 agenda, including stronger competency-based recruitment, mandatory professional certification, external oversight, and enhanced accountability mechanisms for investigators handling sensitive cases. Increasing concerns regarding investigative incompetence, procedural weaknesses, and misuse of operational independence have also raised legitimate questions about whether certain investigative functions should be independently outsourced or subjected to external professional review mechanisms in order to protect the Organization from legal, reputational, and institutional risk  Now while the US Mission to the UN pretends to a public that doesn't know (and mostly doesn't care) that it is reforming UN offices and missions with bureaucratic studies and changes in language, it has done nothing to stop the waste, and Guterres' ban on the Press which exposes it. Inner City Press exclusively published the below, and directly raised it to USUN, Mike Waltz and Jeff Bartos - nothing: "Dear Matthew Russell Lee,   Mr. Braima Jamanca, Director of MINUSCA, is widely known for organizing a network involved in corruption within MINUSCA. The USG, Valentine Rugwabiza, appears to be afraid of him for reasons that remain unclear.  Mr. Jamanca leads five sections and plays a direct role in initiating contracts. He maintains direct connections with business actors in the Central African Republic and reportedly receives commissions through accounts in Guinea-Bissau. Despite receiving information from various sources, OIOS has not initiated an investigation, reportedly due to his direct links and close associations with OIOS staff.  His network in Central Africa is deeply entrenched, and his group is said to organize activities at his request. He currently exercises full authority over key operational areas, including Aviation, Transport, Medical, Fuel, Engineering, Rations, and General Supply within MINUSCA. Senior personnel are reportedly reluctant to question his actions or inaction.  He is able to directly contact and instruct OIOS staff within his office, despite OIOS being expected to operate with impartiality and independence. He also appears to have the ability to contact  OIOS in New York to influence decisions, including the reassignment or removal of OIOS staff he considers a threat to his illegal activities."   What as USUN done? Nothing. Instead, as on the UNMISS resolution, Jeff Bartos unleashed a ten tweet series on the Committee on Information - without mentioning that Under Secretary General Melissa Fleming, which the Committee oversees, bans the Press and has refused even to answer two letters from two US law firms, pro bono, seeking a dialogue to end the ban on Inner City Press. USUN has gone native, putting style (of resolutions) over substance (ending waste, fraud and censorship).  Back on November 6, 2025, in what seems like a pre-approved list shared by the UNMISS-SMG by mistake - and now given no answers published by Inner City Press on its DocumentCloud here - details some offices with specific names of International staff, to be considered for cuts.    It has happened at MINUSCA in Central African Republic too - and no answers from UN.  Guterres, they say, should end censorship. Application was made on June 19, 2025, here. Still as of October 7 no answer at all from Melissa Fleming or Stephane Dujarric. Totally corrupt. Watch this site. *** Your support means a lot. As little as $5 a month helps keep us going and grants you access to exclusive bonus material on our Patreon page. Click here to become a patron. 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