UNITED NATIONS, March 27 -- On February 19 without once speaking to Inner City Press, UN Under Secretary General for Public Information Cristina Gallach order the Press to leave the UN, which it has covered for ten years, in two hours.
Since then, the basis for Gallach's ouster order has fallen apart. The meeting in the UN Press Briefing Room that Inner City Press openly live-streamed on Periscope was nowhere listed as closed. The UN either has no rule against use of the interpreters' booth in the UN Press Briefing Room, or as seen on March 23, does not enforce it.
But today's UN system has no self-correcting mechanism.
Some, it has become clear, are happy Inner City Press' reporting has been hindered - that reporting in some cases is into their involvement in UN corruption.
Several senior UN officials close to Ban Ki-moon have not only like him been close with Ng Lap Seng's, Frank Lorenzo's and Vivian Wang's South South News (March 24 video here) - they were for example at the very founding of Sheri Yan's Global Sustainability Foundation, one of two groups that even Ban has seen the need to (self) audit.
But as the scandal expands, one telling response has been to simply refer Inner City Press and its evidence back to Gallach herself.
As Inner City Press has replied, the concerns it has been raising include (1) conflict of interest by USG Gallach, (2) the seeming use of the punitive powers of her office to retaliate against Inner City Press' reporting, (3) her and her affiliates' misrepresentation of Inner City Press' restricted access to report, (4) a total lack of due process by her office and (5) lack of any UN process of appeal from her decision.
In this context, merely forwarding complaints and proof to USG Gallach is, clearly, not enough. In fact, it further shows just now broken today's UN is.
Gallach's letter cited an incident on January 29.
In that “incident,” Inner City Press openly sought to cover a meeting in the UN Press Briefing Room of an organization which had taken money from South South News, whose honorary president Frank Lorenzo has pleaded guilty to bribery charges as his vice president Vivian Wang has been indicted and funder Ng Lap Seng -- given a photo op with Ban Ki-moon by UNCA - remains under house arrest.
To seek to cover such a meeting is journalism.
By contrast, UNCA chief Giampaolo Pioli, who lobbied Gallach to throw Inner City Press out, came to the UN Security Council stakeout on Western Sahara and loudly and repeatedly called Inner City Press “an asshole.” Audio here.Gallach's February 19 letter citing some rule about civility. Will she enforce it on Pioli?
After the Western Sahara meeting, Gallach tweeted to a questioner from New Zealand who asked, “why did you remove the accreditation of Inner City Press?” Gallach replied, photo here, that “I did not! ICP is fully accredited! Can report from UN.?His privilege to use office was taken out, due to misbehavior.” Photo of Gallach's tweet here.
This is false. On March 21, Inner City Press was unable to reach the stakeout of the UN Security Council on Western Sahara as it had been able, until Gallach's decision of February 19. And on March 25, the moment Security Council president Gaspar Martins finished reading out the elements to the press - and Inner City Press but not the swearing UNCA boss Pioli asked him a question -- UN DPI staff told Inner City Press to leave the stakeout, even as diplomats remain.
Inner City Press said that to report on the meeting, it need to speak to the diplomats, many of whom has in the past spoken with in on background. But now with its Gallach-reduced pass, DPI staff said Inner City Press required an “escort” or minder to remain on the second floor.
What diplomat desiring to speak on background about Ban Ki-moon's questionable performance on Western Sahara would do so in view of a minder from Ban's Secretariat? It is FALSE that Inner City Press is fully accredited.
Furthermore, the “misbehavior” repeatedly citing by Gallach illusory. UNCA should have have been trying to hold a “closed” meeting in the UN Press Briefing Room - even Francois Hollande could not do that - and the event was nowhere listed as closed. Inner City Press live tweeted and live streamed it openly, from the booth in the back to avoid the heckling of Pioli's gang.
Dispositively, on March 23 UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq did nothing when two non interpreters were in the interpretation booth during the noon briefing. There is no clear rule, at least none that is enforced.
But compared to this disagreement, isn't coming to the UN Security Council stakeout to loudly call another reporter “an asshole” misbehavior? Gallach's ruling must be reversed. Watch this site.
On March 24 as Inner City Press was staking out the UN Security Council meeting about Western Sahara and Morocco's ordering out of the UN Peacekeeping mission there, a figure rarely seen at the stakeout approached.
Giampaolo Pioli the head of the UN Correspondents Association came over to where Inner City Press was typing and editing audio and video and said, “You're an asshole.”
Moments later, Inner City Press now with its UN accreditation pass downgraded to Non-Resident Correspondent by UN Department of Public Information chief Cristina Gallach at the behest of Pioli went to ask UN Security not to lock the glass door to the Security Council before the Council's president spoke at the stakeout.
As Inner City Press asked the guard not to lock the door to journalists, UNCA's Pioli again said, “You're an asshole. I'm telling you that you're an asshole. Quote me.” Audio here.
What's behind this? How did a journalists club turn into a club against a journalist, and why? Beyond Pioli's financial relationship with Palitha Kohona, who as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to the UN Pioli unilaterally granted a "UN" screening of a war crimes denial film, there is for example the matter of South South News.
South South News is depicted in the October 2015 criminal complaint against John Ashe, Ng Lap Seng, Frank Lorenzo and others as a vehicle for bribery, to the tune of $12 million.
SSN video at 0:29 features Lorenzo (guilty plea) and Wang (indicted)
John Ashe's former spokesperson is a member of UNCA; a SSN anchor, too. These are among the reasons that Inner City Press sought -- facing retaliation - and seeks and will continue to seek to cover this corrupted organization, as part of the wider and expanding UN corruption scandal. Watch this site.
Pioli and his rental of one of his apartments to an accused war criminal, involved in Sri Lanka's notorious White Flag killings, then screening of his tenant's film, played a key role.
But there have been many enablers, among the Gulf and Western media on UNCA's board; there are been others to the very top of the UN who have benefited from and left unchecked this war on investigative journalism.
This as Pioli's UNCA took money from now-indicted Ng Lap Seng's South South News, gave SSN a journalism award and Ng a photo op with Ban Ki-moon. After after the indictments, Pioli was selling half-tables with Ban for $6,000 on Wall Street in December 2015. That Ban's UN tries to shield this from coverage is telling.
To try to oust or wipe out coverage of failure in Sri Lanka and more recently Burundi and Yemen to name but two is, of course, convenient, as well as stopping or hindering aggressive coverage of the expanding UN scandal in this waning year.
Margaret Besheer of Voice of America, who after being exposed in 2012 and her bosses saying in writing theirattempt to oust Inner City Press for her was wrong -- is at it again. She was standing pre-positioned at the UN gate on February 19, 2016 when Inner City Press was physically thrown out. These are tax dollars at work, violating the First Amendment.
There are more - former AFP, the current ones hardly better - and others who just follow along. Now their "leader" Pioli has come to the stakeout, not to report anything - he rarely does - but to loudly call a critic, who actually writes stories, an "asshole." And not one of them did anything. At the UN the journalists' club has become a club against a journalist.
Photo of Pioli at UNCA Ball, credit UN Photo/Amanda Voisard
Inner City Press replied that it believed and believes Pioli is corrupt, that he took rent money from Palitha Kohona then unilaterally granted Kohona's request as Sri Lanka's Ambassador for an UNCA / “UN” screening of his government's war crimes denial film, “Lies Agreed To.” And that Pioli after demanding censorship of Inner City Press' coverage has used UNCA and now DPI to try to throw Inner City Press out of the UN, just as Pioli first threatened.
Ban with Pioli, who told Inner City Press, "You are an asshole." Credit UN Photo/Evan Schneider
Another UNCA board member -- Inner City Press quit its elected position on that board in 2012, saying openly that Pioli was corrupt, now in taking money from indicted Ng Lap Seng's South South News and granting him a photo op with Ban Ki-moon -- said such language should not be used at the stakeout.
But it was Pioli who approached Inner City Press, which hasn't willingly spoke with Pioli in more than a year.
So it is for this person that Cristina Gallach first ordered Inner City Press out of the UN on two hours notice on February 19 and on whom she has since leaned in trying to defend her February 19 decision, which was reached without once speaking with Inner City Press.
Ban shakes with Cristina Gallach, who threw ICP out of UN on Feb 19, 2016 on 2 hours notice. Credit UN Photo
Her rationale was that Inner City Press secretly filmed a closed meeting, but that doesn't stand up: the meeting was nowhere listed as closed, and Inner City Press openly live-streamed and even live Tweeted it: hardly secret.
So the fallback argument was that since Inner City Press covered the UNCA event in the UN Press Briefing Room from one of the glassed-in interpreters' booths, in order to avoid just such a response as Pioli's “asshole” on March 24, it had violated some as-yet unproduced rule about not being in an interpreters booth.
Inner City Press: Yesterday, as you held your briefing, there were two individuals in the booth right there, the interpreter's booth, the other interpreter's booth. And I wanted to know, since it's been explained to me that there's some clear rule, it's been said that the Under-Secretary-General of Department of Public Information says that there's an extremely clear rule that only interpreters can be in these booths, and if anyone other than interpreters are in the booth, they face summary ouster from the United Nations. What was the use of this… please explain, because he's been asked for the rule and didn't provide the rule.
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, there was, in fact, a violation of the room, which we… which we have taken up…
Inner City Press: A violation of what rule? Can you provide the rule? Because she's been asked for the rule.
Deputy Spokesman: This is by our fellow DPI staff who were unaware of this, but they have been told they cannot use that room, that they cannot and must not.
Inner City Press: Who were they? And did you know yesterday when you did nothing during your presence there?
Deputy Spokesman: I did not know, because, as when you were hiding there, it's difficult for me to tell that there are people there.
Inner City Press: There's no hiding. They're totally visible. So, you're saying you didn't know and you did nothing, yet it's an extremely strong rule.
Deputy Spokesman: No, I didn't say I did nothing. In fact, we were apprised of this, and they cannot use that room. Thanks.
On his way out of the UN Press Briefing Room, Haq said to Inner City Press, “Liar.” This is the atmosphere created, when DPI and the Spokesperson's office have allowed a character like Pioli, angry at coverage of his financial dealings with Sri Lanka's ambassador, to essentially run the asylum.
It seems clear now that there must be a complete reversal of Gallach's February 19 order, based on false facts (closed meeting, “secret” filming), a dubious rule and at the behest of an UNCA boss who barely writes articles, seeks to control UN office space and comes to the UN Security Council stakeout to call a critic an asshole. We'll have more on this.
UNITED NATIONS, March 24 -- The UN's expanding corruption scandals clouded even the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, given that indictee (now bribery guilty-plea) Sheri Yan's Global Sustainability Foundation paid at least $60,000 for the UN's slavery memorial.
So now that DPI- and UNCA-funder South South News' Frank Lorenzo has pleaded guilty to bribery charges, and Vivian Wang has been indicted, Inner City Press wanted on March 24 to stakeout and cover an event on "The Transatlantic Slave Trade, organized by the UN Remember Slavery Program, in collaboration with the Department of Public Information" - including in continued covering of the expanding UN corruption scandal's link to DPI and, yes, the UN Correspondents Association.
But the event was in the ECOSOC chamber, and Inner City Ppress' downgraded non-resident correspondent pass does not allow it through the turnstile on the second floor to access ECOSOC. The glass door to the Security Council, since it was between meetings, was locked.
Inner City Press, whose accreditation was cut and office seized for trying to cover UN corruption, is now Banned from such coverage, from stakeout on this event. Combined with the exposure that there is no rule on use of interpreters booths, the accreditation cut mut be reversed and the work space returned.
On the slavery connection to corruption in the UN and DPI, Inner City Press on December 2 asked UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric:
Inner City Press: today is the International Day of Remembrance of the end of transatlantic slavery. So, I wanted to ask, there's the Global Sustainability Foundation, one of the two entities, I guess, are being subject to some kind of a review by OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services]. They contribute… I found the document. They contributed $60,000 to the memorial that's out in front of the GA [General Assembly]. I wondered, one, do you have… in terms of the… given that the founder of the organization has been indicted for bribe… use of that organization for bribery, do you have any comment on that? And what's the status of the OIOS review of the two organizations' interactions with the UN? And, is Mr. [Edmond] Mulet the head of the task force?
Spokesman: That is still ongoing. The work that was being done by the Chef de Cabinet's office will continue by… with the Chef de Cabinet… with the new Chef de Cabinet, Mr. Mulet, who was sworn in today.
Inner City Press: Is there a deadline for the OIOS review, given the… I mean, there was a lot of heat around the issue and…?
Spokesman: Not that I'm aware of. Obviously, they're trying to do this as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Inner City Press: And when they finish, will we know or… from you?
Spokesman: I hope to know, because I would like to know.
But will Ban Ki-moon, canceling the December 3 noon briefing to take question at the stakeout, accept a question about this UN scandal?
Back on October 20 as the scandal unveiled in the corruption chargesagainst former UN General Assembly President John Ashe, Ng Lap Seng, Francis Lorenzo of South South News and others continues to expand, the compromised position of the UN Correspondents Association has come to the fore.
In 2011 until now, Inner City Press has exposed UNCA for taking funds from Ng Lap Seng vehicles, to which it gave awards, and arranging Ng Lap Seng photo op(s) with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. UNCA has not provided any explanation; the UN through Ban's spokesman has said for example that many people get photographs with Ban. But people like Ng previously found in US Senate reports to have made irregular campaign contributions, and co-owning hotels links to prostitution?
On October 20, Inner City Press asked UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq about Ng, and about how much money the Global Sustainability Foundation gave for the UN's “Ark of Return” (anti) slavery memorial. Haq wouldn't give the dollar figure - it's at least $60,000 -- and seemed to says it doesn't matter where the UN takes money from, only how the UN uses it. Video here. From the UN's October 20 transcript:
Inner City Press: I wanted to ask one question about Global Sustainability Foundation, one about Mr. Ng Lap Seng. Seems that the Global Sustainability Foundation held a luncheon for and raised funds for this Arc of Return, it's a monument to the recollection of transatlantic slavery. And I wanted to know, one, I mean, pending… this just seems it's a fact, it's on their website they basically present themself as a major sponsor of the monument, which isn't really my understanding, but can you find out without, it's not an audit. It's just a financial question. Did they, in fact, give money to it, and why did they sponsor the luncheon for it? What was their, in what capacity did they do that?
Deputy Spokesman: Again, this is one of the topics for which we expect any relevant information will come out through the audit, so we would await that…
Inner City press: Can't you answer just a simple financial question…
Deputy Spokesman: No, I'm not going…
Inner City Press: This is a monument for which the Secretary-General raised funds…
Deputy Spokesman: I'm not going…
Inner City Press: …how much did they give?
Deputy Spokesman: I'm not going to do the work that the auditors are doing. We're waiting for the auditors to go about their work, and we'll see what they have to say. If there's any additional avenues we need to pursue after that, we can do that at that point.
Inner City Press: Okay. I want to ask you another question. Mr. Ng Lap Seng, who's now out on $50 million bail, it seemed he sort of penetrated the UN system, including several photo ops with Ban Ki-moon against a blue background in Cipriani's, I wanted to ask you, a major financial newspaper, just on cursory research, said he's a co-owner of the Fortuna Hotel, which has… quote, this is all from their promotional material, table dancing by strippers, boasted attractive and attentive hostesses from China, Singapore and Korea, and erotic girls from Europe and Russia. And I wanted to know, given, given everything that's said from this podium about UN Women and the need to take these issues seriously, how is it possible… how is it possible that this, an individual engaged in these activities, came… came to such a position of prominence and, and, and closeness to the Secretary-General?
Deputy Spokesman: Matthew, we do not speak for David Ng Lap Seng or his group or his business holdings. Any questions on that have to go to his organizations. The United Nations does not deal with any of the, of the entities, with entities like the ones that you've described.
Inner City Press: The money from it was donated to various UN causes. That’s why I'm asking you to respond to this pending, this unending audit, what do you think of this?
Deputy Spokesman: The nature of corporations is that any corporation can have many, many different holdings. I'm not going to comment on all of the holdings of different groups, depending upon what they do with the UN. What we're trying to monitor is how the funds from these groups affected the UN and the dealings with the two entities that we've been talking about. That's being audited, and we'll follow up on that. But the group's activities as a whole, that's an issue for other authorities. It's not…
It's not an issue for the United Nations…
Inner City Press: I understand what the audit is…
Deputy Spokesman: It has nothing, it actually has no actual relevance to the work we've done.
Question: It's just how the money is spent by the UN, not where the money came from?
Deputy Spokesman: The audit is designed to follow up on what effect, what impact, the activities the groups and of the monies that they spent have and that's what we're following up on...
Inner City Press: Is it, are you, is the Secretariat yet viewing the… Secretariat viewing the charges of the Southern District of New York as mostly or entirely related to the PGA [President of the General Assembly]? I guess I'm asking this because things like South-South News... Yesterday, I'd asked Stéphane at the founding of the Global Sustainability Foundation, there was Mr. Nambiar. There was the spouse of the Secretary-General. There was not Mr. Ashe anywhere to be seen. So I just want to be clear. Is this an audit about two… merely two entities, but as relates to the UN Secretariat or just to the PGA's office?
Deputy Spokesman: No, no, it's as we have, it's as we described in the statement before. It's about the UN as a whole.
Background: Ng Lap Seng was found to have brought the same bags of cash later deployed at the UN into the US earlier, in the late 90s, when his Fortuna hotel was linked to organized crime and even human trafficking. From the WSJ:
“Who is Ng Lap Seng, and what did he want? According to several well-informed sources in Hong Kong and Macau, Mr. Ng is a mysterious figure with extensive business in China, where he also held a minor post as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in his hometown of Nan Hai in Guangdong province. In Macau, his most visible interest is his ownership of the Fortuna Hotel, a garish high-rise in the gambling district, featuring a 20,000-square-foot nightclub with 'table dancing' by strippers, as well as a massage parlor and, according to its brochure, 'over 30 independent karaoke rooms, all luxuriously decorated with the most advanced sound system for any one interested in performing his favorite songs.' The brochure also boasts 'attractive and attentive hostesses from China, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Burma together with erotic girls from Europe and Russia, certainly offer you an exciting and unforgettable evening with friends or business associates.'”
So what does UN Women, which has still to comment on UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous linking rapes to “R&R,” same about Ban's UN (through UNCA) accepting “pimp and trafficker” Ng Lap Seng into the UN, and into UNCA's Cipriani ball for photos with Ban and his spouse? We'll have more on this.
Just as UNCA "leaders" from Voice of America and Reuters(censorship bid here) tried to use the UN to get the investigative Press out, now the UN responds to questions about UNCA selling Secretary General Ban Ki-moon photo ops to Ng Lap Seng by suggesting that the questioner, because present, "condoned" the sale.
Now, with UNCA still silent on its links with South South News and other Ng Lap Seng vehicles, here is video Inner City Press published in December 2011 of UNCA's murky photo ops for Ban at Cipriani, which UNCA seeks to reproduce this coming December.
Even then in December 2011, Inner City Press' accompanying story reported that it
"filmed what it could of the photo op -- those arranging it kept telling the Press it had to leave -- and afterward several in Ban's circle said they had no idea who the businessmen had been. There was dark talk about one David Ng, a businessman who has bankrolled 'vanity' media projects given awards that night -- people funded by Ng used the word "vanity," so we use it here."
Inner City Press published that in December 2011 about Ng and South South News; it quit UNCA and with another Executive Committee member who quit in disgust co-founded FUNCA, the Free UN Coalition for Access. UNCA continued taking funds from South South News. We'll have more on this.
While UNCA does not represent all journalists accredited to cover the UN -- Inner City Press for example quit the group in 2012 with another Executive Committee member and co-founded the new Free UN Coalition for Access -- the UN gives it a privileged position, a large clubhouse on the third floor of the UN and, automatically, the first question at press conferences.
But is that appropriate, given that UNCA received money from South South News, “NGO 1” in the filing against Ashe? Not only did UNCA receive money from South South News: it gave the group an “UNCA award” at a ceremony at the high-ceilinged Cipriani's restaurant on December 15, 2011.
Inner City Press, which did not quit UNCA in fully ripened disgust in 2012, was present in December 2011 and witnessed, when Secretary General Ban Ki-moon came into Cipriani's, him being shepherded into a side room for photographs with Asian men in business suits who Inner City Press did not then recognize -- but now does.
UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, when Inner City Press asked on October 13 about what it had seen, said perhaps Inner City Press had "condoned" it. Video here. But Inner City Press quit UNCA after finding conflicts of interest in it, and being "ordered" to not report on this. From the October 13 transcript:
Inner City Press: I want to ask inevitably about the revelations about Mr. [John] Ashe and Frank Lorenzo and others. And just as you… as the lead Spokesman, a person that travels around with the Secretary-General, how… what would you say to the photos that exist of the Secretary-General with David Ng, who was since indicted, and Frank Lorenzo and, particularly, in instances where it appears that groups that receive contributions from the two and then put them in a room to have photographs with the Secretary-General? Is this something that… how does the Secretary-General view this in retrospect, and what's going to be done in the future?
Spokesman: First of all, a photo of the Secretary-General with any individual should in no way be interpreted as a sponsorship or agreement. It's just a photo. The Secretary-General is very much a public figure, attends a lot of public events where there are a lot of people. Sometimes people come up to him and ask to have their photo taken. And it's done within the… within, obviously, the security constraints that need to be had. I think whether it's the Secretary-General of the United Nations or anyone in leadership position, you will find when you travel with them that a lot of people want to have their photo taken with them. Inasmuch as that is… we try to control that, sometimes it's difficult to do so. I think the Secretary-General is as shocked as anyone in this building at the charges that were levelled at these two individuals. And he's very disappointed at the accusations towards the United Nations.
Inner City Press: obviously, to business interests having an actual kind of formal handshaking one, I guess I'll just say that that is worth something to them. That's why they…
Spokesman: I'm not… I'm not debating that point… [cross talk] I'm just saying that having a picture of the Secretary-General with any individual should in no way be seen as a sponsorship, approval, making them BFF's or anything.
Inner City Press: I guess I just want to be more specific. If an event… and there's one that actually, as it turns out, I witnessed in Cipriani. If the Secretary-General enters a large space and is then taken to a smaller space for such photographs, what's the basis for that, as opposed to people with selfies? I mean, I understand what you're saying…
Spokesman: I think, you know, if you were there, then maybe you condoned the event as well. The issue is the Secretary-General attends a lot of events. Sometimes there is a VIP reception. None of it should be construed as anything as the Secretary-General having his picture taken with anyone.
Inner City Press: it's been a number of days now; I'm assuming that, if not you, OLA [Office of Legal Affairs], someone has read through this long FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] affidavit. And I want to just ask you again, because in it, it says that, after the… the… the official UN document about the Macau centre was procured, there was a separate payment to Mr. Ashe, separate communications with a UN official number one, who reissued the document as a… amended… revised for technical reasons, with the name of the company in it. And it seems to me, even before you waiting for an OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services] investigation, the scope of which wouldn't touch that, who in the UN is actually… how does it work, first of all? Who… which part of the UN amends documents after they're released? Is it DGACM [Department for General Assembly and Conference Management]…?
Spokesman: Listen, I'm not going to talk about the specifics of the case. But it is clear that if the President of one of the legislative bodies in this Organization which controls the agenda, or a sponsoring country for resolution, asks the Secretary-General to amend a text, we serve as the Secretariat. It's not… it's… it doesn't entail sponsoring of what's inside that text.
While Inner City Press' answer to the spokesman's "if you were there, then maybe you condoned the event as well," is that Inner City Press quit UNCA after finding conflicts of interest in it, and being "ordered" to not report on this, we'll have more on this.
On October 13, Inner City Press asked this follow up:
Inner City Press: I just want to directly ask you about the idea that it's sort of people struggling to get photos with the UN officials. There was a… there was a peacekeeping day concert that was… for which solicitation of… you know, sponsorship was sought by a group called World Harmony Alliance, and it had nothing… the group has nothing to do with peacekeeping, but they paid for day. They… they… in fact, the funder complained that he didn't get the promised photograph with Ban Ki-moon, but I wonder, what was… what's the UN's understanding when they take outside financial sponsorship for such a day? I mean, former UN official [Ibrahim] Gambari was seen with the same group taking photographs on the fourth floor in the Millennium Hotel. What's it all about? What’s happening?
Spokesman: What former officials do in hotels is really not of my purview.
Inner City Press: Sure. What about UN peacekeeping?
Spokesman: I would take a look at that actual programme, but I would expect every part of the UN to do due diligence when it partners with an outside organization. And just… I'll leave it at that.
On October 12, Inner City Press asked Ban's deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, video here, transcript here:
Inner City Press: in light of these charges against John Ashe, Frank Lorenzo, and others, it's emerging that the Secretary-General, if not met, had staged photo opportunities with a number of the individuals charged. And I wanted to know, in looking at this, do you have some kind of a comment on how these occurred, particularly in instances where they may have been arranged by a third party, been arranged by an organization that invited Ban Ki-moon and then received funds from South-South News or others and then put the two together on photograph? Was that appropriate? And what would be your response to… to OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services] looking at that or otherwise?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, regarding that, as you're aware, the Office of Internal Oversight Services will do an audit. They've been requested to do that, and so we'll be able to see whether there was any effect from either the relationship with these various groups, these two groups, the Sun Kian Ip Group and the Global Sustainability Foundation, and any of the monies received. So, we'll await what they have to say about any of this.
Inner City Press: But, given that Mr. Frank Lorenzo has been charged and he's now out on $2 million bail, he was head of South-South News, which spread $12 million, according to the documents, throughout the UN system. So, what was, how, what was the criteria used to choose these two NGOs and not either South-South News or International Organization for South-South Cooperation or South South Steering Committee on Sustainable Development? It seems like it's a very limited inquiry and…
Deputy Spokesman: It's not really an inquiry. It's an audit, and this is initial step. If OIOS feels like there is something… there's a direction which they need to go as a result of these initial results, they're certainly free to do that, but we needed to get the ball rolling and have an initial step forward so that we can look into what exactly is the impact of the monies and the relationship with these groups.
John Ashe at UNCA with former president, after and before Pioli click photo for source / credit
Back in December 2011, shepherding Ban for this (compensated) photo op with dubious businessmen was Giampaolo Pioli, then as now the president of UNCA. South South News interviewed Pioli that night, bragging of the UNCA award it got / paid for, screenshot from video here.
(For context it must be noted too that Pioli rented one of his Manhattan apartments to Palitha Kohona then granted Kohona's request as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to screen his government's war crimes denial film “Lies Agreed To” in the UN's Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium: this precipitated Inner City Press quitting UNCA, in full disclosure.)
How can UNCA be given first questions to ask about a scandal involving South South News, from which UNCA took more then to which it gave an award? And what are the other implications?
(In terms of Mr. Ng's desire for photo ops, Inner City Press is informed that he separately wanted a photo with US President Obama, and paid six figures to a middleman - who disappeared with the money. UNCA on the other hand, one wag noted, delivered Ban Ki-moon for photos at Cipriani's.)
UNCA, it should be noted, has been and is open to business interested beyond Mr. Ng and South South News. Another UNCA awards ceremony was sponsored by a company called “Acoona;” the Italian oil company ENI pays the group money.
But UNCA's South South News connection, given what has been disclosed and charged this week, should at a minimum and as a first step disqualify UNCA from first questions from the UN, and from the continuation of its role.
Consider: if it gave rise to criminal charges that South South News paid Ashe to get a GA document for Ng to show off in Macau, who about South South News paying UNCA, and UNCA delivering Ban for a photo op with Ng, that Ng could use for related purposes? We'll have more on this.
Wider, and going forward in this series, limiting UN investigation to OIOS - whose director of investigations Stefanovic has resigned, Inner City Press hereby exclusively reported on October 9 - looking at only two NGOs is laughable. The scandal is expanding: there is a pattern here, pattern and practice. Watch this site.
UNITED NATIONS, January 21 -- Ban Ki-moon's tenure as UN Secretary General became embroiled in one scandal after another in 2015 -- but at his “year-end” press conference he refused to answer a Press question directly on it. Video here and embedded below. Vine here. On January 5, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman, below. On January 14, at Ban's stakeout, Inner City Press was again denied a question.
Now a second defendant in the scandal, Sheri Yan, has entered a guilty plea. She was -- and is -- the CEO of the the Global Sustainability Foundation which reportedly funneled bribes at the UN, and at the founding of which some very close to Ban, including his wife and his representative on Sri Lanka and now Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar.
On January 21, Inner City Press asked Ban's deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, UN transcript here:
Inner City Press: Now the second of the people indicted in the John Ashe case for bribery in connection with obtaining, it seems, UN documents about that conference centre has pled guilty, Sheri Yan, the CEO of the Global Sustainability Foundation. This is now somebody higher up in the group, and the founding of the organization took place on the 4th Floor with one of the senior advisers of the Secretary-General very much present. What does — what does the UN think about the development of the case? Have there been contacts with the Secretariat? What's the status of the audit of the UN's interactions with Global Sustainability Foundation and Sun Kian Ip Group?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the audit by the Office of Internal Oversight Services is continuing. I don't have anything really to say on it until it's completed. As you know, we've done also a separate audit that's being finalized by the Office of South-South Cooperation, and we expect that that audit will be public sometime in March. Beyond that, I wouldn't have any comment on the latest proceedings. We certainly hope that all the facts are… come out as a result of this particular judicial process.
March?
Yan's guilty plea, follows that of Heidi Piao, Yan's underling at GSF. So they are moving up the chain. Will it go high enough up? Answers are needed.
Inner City Press: yesterday one of the individuals arrested in the UN corruption cases involving, allegedly, John Ashe and Ng Lap Seng, Heidi Piao has pled guilty and has said she will cooperate, so this seems to… as before, you've always said, it's just an allegation. Seems like if somebody pleads guilty and is going to serve time, there's probably something to the allegation. What does the Secretary-General… I noticed in his speech about his priorities there was not a mention of UN reforms or trying to look into this. Does he see this as more serious now?
Spokesman: I think we've always taken these allegations seriously, and I wouldn't want anybody to think otherwise. The audit that he ordered by OIOS is ongoing. It should be wrapped up, I believe, at some point next month. I think UNDP is also in the final stage of reviewing their audit. As we've said, we will also be putting forward some recommendations to the President of the General Assembly's Office to ensure that there is greater transparency and efficiencies in how both the Secretariat and, obviously, the PGA's office is run.
Inner City Press asked asked current PGA Mogens Lykketoft about the guilty plea, video here.
Indicted businessman Ng Lap Seng, charged with paying bribes to buy a document from Ban's Secretariat for a UN conference center in Macau, has withdrawn his December 10 request for a speedy trial, and says he may ask to sever his trial from that of former UN President of the General Assembly John Ashe.
Will this extend his UN corruption case past the tenure of Ban Ki-moon? Or impact the continue reports of Ban as a player in South Korea's upcoming Presidential race?
On January 5, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, from the transcript:
Inner City Press: I would assume that you’ve seen that the businessman Ng Lap Seng, who stands to be put on trial for having, among other things, purchased documents from the Secretariat, is the way I’d phrase it, through the John Ashe case, has asked to have his case severed and delayed. He’s no longer asking for a speedy trial. I wanted to know if you have any comment and if the UN Secretariat had… or its UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) office of South-South Cooperation have been contacted or are cooperating in any way with these various trials.
Spokesman: No, I’m not aware of any contacts. We can ask the South-South office.
Inner City Press: And I guess… it was said, when this first came up, that the director of the South-South office was new and that’s why he never came forward to… to talk about what these serious charges mean for his office. Is he now less new? Can he come forward?
Spokesman: I’m sure he’s less new by the day; each day and every day we get older and we get less new. That’s the laws of physics and biology, which we can’t fight. You’re welcome to get in touch with his office.
Inner City Press: I have. I want to emphasize to you that a simple document, a supposedly public document, they signed with Dominica has yet to be released, so…
Ban's envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon was exposed by leaks as having taken instructions and then a job from the United Arab Emirates.
And Ban's head of UN Peacekeeping, Herve Ladsous, is listed in UN Dispute Tribunal documents as having tried to cover up child rapes in Central African Republic by peacekeepers from his native France.
Inner City Press, which Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric did not call on despite calling two separate times on the same UN Correspondents Association scribe, asked audibly, “Do you have any update on the John Ashe indictment? Bernardino Leon? These were major developments this year.” Vine here.
But Ban refused to answer the question. He walked out of the briefing room, shaking hands scribes. The press conference began with Dujarric setting aside the first question for the head of UNCA, who thanked Ban for attending an event on Wall Street for which UNCA charged $6,000 to sit with Ban. This is the UN Corruption Association.
A question on or to cover up the sexual abuse scandal was arranged, with Agence France Presse congratulating Ban for this response to the sexual abuse scandal. (Senegalese Babacar Gaye was urged to resign, Ladsous who on camera linked the rapes to “R&R," video here, remains in place.)
Ban read out a wan answer on Burundi; his deputy spokeperson refused an Inner City Press question on Burundi at the previous day's noon briefing. We'll have more on this.
Ban once promised monthly press conference but his last one was three months before, then nine months before that. On September 16 with the UN being less than successful in mediating in Yemen and Libya, Syria and South Sudan, accused of rapes in Central African Republic and killing 8,000 in Haiti with cholera (after 40,000 died in Sri Lanka with little response from the UN), Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was asked, What is your legacy?
Most recently, Ladsous linked rapes to a lack of “R&R,” rest and relaxation, video here.
Dujarric himself cut off Inner City Press questions on what Ladsous said, and declined to answer on Reddit in an “Ask Me Anything.” (He didn't say he's ANSWER everything, one wag pointed out.)
But even beyond the scandals, Ban did not in his opening statement mention Somalia, or CAR, or Darfur; none of the questions selected by Dujarric was about Africa. (One wire points out Africa was part of a UN-at-70 question; noted.)
Inner City Press also tried to ask about Burundi -- nothing - and South Sudan, on which we are preparing a story.
It was Voice of America with the “What is your legacy” question. Ban said he'd answer next year. Inner City Press might answer sooner. Watch this site.
UNITED NATIONS, January 20 -- Ban Ki-moon's tenure as UN Secretary General became embroiled in one scandal after another in 2015 -- but at his “year-end” press conference he refused to answer a Press question directly on it. Video here and embedded below. Vine here. On January 5, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman, below. On January 14, at Ban's stakeout, Inner City Press was again denied a question.
Now a second defendant in the scandal, Sheri Yan, is said to be ready to cooperate. She was -- and is -- the CEO of the the Global Sustainability Foundation which reportedly funneled bribes at the UN, and at the founding of which some very close to Ban, including his wife and his representative on Sri Lanka and now Myanmar, Vijay Nambiar.
Yan's guilty plea, signaled by the prosecution, would follow that of Heidi Piao, Yan's underling at GSF. So they are moving up the chain. Will it go high enough up? Answers are needed.
Inner City Press: yesterday one of the individuals arrested in the UN corruption cases involving, allegedly, John Ashe and Ng Lap Seng, Heidi Piao has pled guilty and has said she will cooperate, so this seems to… as before, you've always said, it's just an allegation. Seems like if somebody pleads guilty and is going to serve time, there's probably something to the allegation. What does the Secretary-General… I noticed in his speech about his priorities there was not a mention of UN reforms or trying to look into this. Does he see this as more serious now?
Spokesman: I think we've always taken these allegations seriously, and I wouldn't want anybody to think otherwise. The audit that he ordered by OIOS is ongoing. It should be wrapped up, I believe, at some point next month. I think UNDP is also in the final stage of reviewing their audit. As we've said, we will also be putting forward some recommendations to the President of the General Assembly's Office to ensure that there is greater transparency and efficiencies in how both the Secretariat and, obviously, the PGA's office is run.
Inner City Press asked asked current PGA Mogens Lykketoft about the guilty plea, video here.
Indicted businessman Ng Lap Seng, charged with paying bribes to buy a document from Ban's Secretariat for a UN conference center in Macau, has withdrawn his December 10 request for a speedy trial, and says he may ask to sever his trial from that of former UN President of the General Assembly John Ashe.
Will this extend his UN corruption case past the tenure of Ban Ki-moon? Or impact the continue reports of Ban as a player in South Korea's upcoming Presidential race?
On January 5, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, from the transcript:
Inner City Press: I would assume that you’ve seen that the businessman Ng Lap Seng, who stands to be put on trial for having, among other things, purchased documents from the Secretariat, is the way I’d phrase it, through the John Ashe case, has asked to have his case severed and delayed. He’s no longer asking for a speedy trial. I wanted to know if you have any comment and if the UN Secretariat had… or its UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) office of South-South Cooperation have been contacted or are cooperating in any way with these various trials.
Spokesman: No, I’m not aware of any contacts. We can ask the South-South office.
Inner City Press: And I guess… it was said, when this first came up, that the director of the South-South office was new and that’s why he never came forward to… to talk about what these serious charges mean for his office. Is he now less new? Can he come forward?
Spokesman: I’m sure he’s less new by the day; each day and every day we get older and we get less new. That’s the laws of physics and biology, which we can’t fight. You’re welcome to get in touch with his office.
Inner City Press: I have. I want to emphasize to you that a simple document, a supposedly public document, they signed with Dominica has yet to be released, so…
Ban's envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon was exposed by leaks as having taken instructions and then a job from the United Arab Emirates.
And Ban's head of UN Peacekeeping, Herve Ladsous, is listed in UN Dispute Tribunal documents as having tried to cover up child rapes in Central African Republic by peacekeepers from his native France.
Inner City Press, which Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric did not call on despite calling two separate times on the same UN Correspondents Association scribe, asked audibly, “Do you have any update on the John Ashe indictment? Bernardino Leon? These were major developments this year.” Vine here.
But Ban refused to answer the question. He walked out of the briefing room, shaking hands scribes. The press conference began with Dujarric setting aside the first question for the head of UNCA, who thanked Ban for attending an event on Wall Street for which UNCA charged $6,000 to sit with Ban. This is the UN Corruption Association.
A question on or to cover up the sexual abuse scandal was arranged, with Agence France Presse congratulating Ban for this response to the sexual abuse scandal. (Senegalese Babacar Gaye was urged to resign, Ladsous who on camera linked the rapes to “R&R," video here, remains in place.)
Ban read out a wan answer on Burundi; his deputy spokeperson refused an Inner City Press question on Burundi at the previous day's noon briefing. We'll have more on this.
Ban once promised monthly press conference but his last one was three months before, then nine months before that. On September 16 with the UN being less than successful in mediating in Yemen and Libya, Syria and South Sudan, accused of rapes in Central African Republic and killing 8,000 in Haiti with cholera (after 40,000 died in Sri Lanka with little response from the UN), Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was asked, What is your legacy?
Most recently, Ladsous linked rapes to a lack of “R&R,” rest and relaxation, video here.
Dujarric himself cut off Inner City Press questions on what Ladsous said, and declined to answer on Reddit in an “Ask Me Anything.” (He didn't say he's ANSWER everything, one wag pointed out.)
But even beyond the scandals, Ban did not in his opening statement mention Somalia, or CAR, or Darfur; none of the questions selected by Dujarric was about Africa. (One wire points out Africa was part of a UN-at-70 question; noted.)
Inner City Press also tried to ask about Burundi -- nothing - and South Sudan, on which we are preparing a story.
It was Voice of America with the “What is your legacy” question. Ban said he'd answer next year. Inner City Press might answer sooner. Watch this site.
UNITED NATIONS, January 14 -- Ban Ki-moon's tenure as UN Secretary General became embroiled in one scandal after another in 2015 -- but at his “year-end” press conference he refused to answer a Press question directly on it. Video here and embedded below. Vine here. On January 5, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman, below. On January 14, at Ban's stakeout, Inner City Press was again denied a question.
Now one of those in the scandal, Heidi Piao, is said to be ready to cooperate. She was -- and is -- with the Global Sustainability Foundation which reportedly funneled bribes at the UN, and at the founding of which some very close to Ban were present. Is this why Ban won't take Press questions?
Indicted businessman Ng Lap Seng, charged with paying bribes to buy a document from Ban's Secretariat for a UN conference center in Macau, has withdrawn his December 10 request for a speedy trial, and says he may ask to sever his trial from that of former UN President of the General Assembly John Ashe.
Will this extend his UN corruption case past the tenure of Ban Ki-moon? Or impact the continue reports of Ban as a player in South Korea's upcoming Presidential race?
On January 5, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, from the transcript:
Inner City Press: I would assume that you’ve seen that the businessman Ng Lap Seng, who stands to be put on trial for having, among other things, purchased documents from the Secretariat, is the way I’d phrase it, through the John Ashe case, has asked to have his case severed and delayed. He’s no longer asking for a speedy trial. I wanted to know if you have any comment and if the UN Secretariat had… or its UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) office of South-South Cooperation have been contacted or are cooperating in any way with these various trials.
Spokesman: No, I’m not aware of any contacts. We can ask the South-South office.
Inner City Press: And I guess… it was said, when this first came up, that the director of the South-South office was new and that’s why he never came forward to… to talk about what these serious charges mean for his office. Is he now less new? Can he come forward?
Spokesman: I’m sure he’s less new by the day; each day and every day we get older and we get less new. That’s the laws of physics and biology, which we can’t fight. You’re welcome to get in touch with his office.
Inner City Press: I have. I want to emphasize to you that a simple document, a supposedly public document, they signed with Dominica has yet to be released, so…
Spokesman: Okay.
Okay what? Beyond the indictments of the former PGA Ashe, Ng Lap Seng, Sherri Yang and others, on December 31 Inner City Press asked four of Ban's spokespeople questions including:
"Regarding the report on the sexual abuse in CAR and how the UN handled it, please state the identity of the senior officer in the Executive Office of the Secretary General do which a section of the report is devoted, or explain why your Office will not provide the name, in terms of accountability.
"Please confirm or deny that Andrew Gilmour is seeking employment outside of the EOSG, and provide the SG's view of its senior official leaving or seeking to leave before he does."
Ban's Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, while leaving Inner City Press questions on Burundi and South Sudan entirely UNaddressed, sent this:
From: Farhan Haq [at] un.org Date: Thu, Dec 31, 2015 at 12:11 PM Subject: Press Qs in lieu of a UN noon briefing: Burundi, S. Sudan, Haiti, EOSG, still SG travel, UNOG, Ohio, Ethiopia / free press; still Jordan, UNHQ, UN scandals / reforms, Yemen; thanks in advance To: Matthew Lee [at] InnerCityPress.com Cc: Stephane Dujarric [at] un.org, FUNCA [at] funca.org
"Regarding accountability and the CAR report, the panel put out the information it chose to provide and we have made available the entire report, without any redactions. Follow-up action is being studied at present.
"We have no comment on staff movements. Staff are free to seek employment opportunities."
This last would appear to apply to yet another UN scandal in 2015: envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon negotiating a cushy job with the United Arab Emirates while purporting to represent the UN on Libya.
With Ban off on a "private" visit to Vienna, tweeted by the UN Office there, the UN has yet to answer Inner City Press' simple question about the cost(s):
"With regard to the Secretary General's current trip to Vienna, tweeted by the UN there, for purposes of transparency including in light of the indictment of ex-UNPGA John Ashe and the new PGA's disclosures, what are the costs to the UN budget, and what are the other costs and who is paying them?"
Ban's envoy to Libya Bernardino Leon was exposed by leaks as having taken instructions and then a job from the United Arab Emirates.
And Ban's head of UN Peacekeeping, Herve Ladsous, is listed in UN Dispute Tribunal documents as having tried to cover up child rapes in Central African Republic by peacekeepers from his native France.
Inner City Press, which Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric did not call on despite calling two separate times on the same UN Correspondents Association scribe, asked audibly, “Do you have any update on the John Ashe indictment? Bernardino Leon? These were major developments this year.” Vine here.
But Ban refused to answer the question. He walked out of the briefing room, shaking hands scribes. The press conference began with Dujarric setting aside the first question for the head of UNCA, who thanked Ban for attending an event on Wall Street for which UNCA charged $6,000 to sit with Ban. This is the UN Corruption Association.
A question on or to cover up the sexual abuse scandal was arranged, with Agence France Presse congratulating Ban for this response to the sexual abuse scandal. (Senegalese Babacar Gaye was urged to resign, Ladsous who on camera linked the rapes to “R&R," video here, remains in place.)
Ban read out a wan answer on Burundi; his deputy spokeperson refused an Inner City Press question on Burundi at the previous day's noon briefing. We'll have more on this.
Ban once promised monthly press conference but his last one was three months before, then nine months before that. On September 16 with the UN being less than successful in mediating in Yemen and Libya, Syria and South Sudan, accused of rapes in Central African Republic and killing 8,000 in Haiti with cholera (after 40,000 died in Sri Lanka with little response from the UN), Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was asked, What is your legacy?
Most recently, Ladsous linked rapes to a lack of “R&R,” rest and relaxation, video here.
Dujarric himself cut off Inner City Press questions on what Ladsous said, and declined to answer on Reddit in an “Ask Me Anything.” (He didn't say he's ANSWER everything, one wag pointed out.)
But even beyond the scandals, Ban did not in his opening statement mention Somalia, or CAR, or Darfur; none of the questions selected by Dujarric was about Africa. (One wire points out Africa was part of a UN-at-70 question; noted.)
Inner City Press also tried to ask about Burundi -- nothing - and South Sudan, on which we are preparing a story.
It was Voice of America with the “What is your legacy” question. Ban said he'd answer next year. Inner City Press might answer sooner. Watch this site.
UNITED NATIONS, November 20 -- While the UN has been extensively corrupted by the Global Sustainability Foundation, whose Sheri Yan has been indicted and whose finance director Heidi Park's case has been extended seeking a disposition, board members / special advisers of this GSF remain intertwined with the UN, including its new President of the General Assembly and its Deputy Secretary General.
Both were present and spoke at an event on the evening of November 19 in the new luxury building across from the UN, 50 UN Plaza, in a swank 41st story apartment celebrating, of all things, Roll Back Malaria. As with many of GSF's causes, such as the UN memorial of slavery, it's a fine cause.
But how can it be, even after GSF's founder has been indicted for corrupting the UN that no directive has gone out from Ban Ki-moon's Secretariat that his Deputy Jan Eliasson, and Mogens Lykketoft the new PGA, shouldn't cavort with board members / special advisers of GSF? One of those present was "Board Member and Special Adviser to the Partnerships Committee of GSF;"another was "Special Advisor to the Science Innovation Committee of GS." (As noted, at least two of the people closest to Ban were at GSF's UN launch in September 2014.)
As detailed in the FBI's charge sheet, Yan's and Heidi Park's GSF was used to funnel and conceal bribes while purportedly promoting the UN's stated goals.
Ban ordered an audit of the UN's interactions with GSF and Sun Kiam Ip (see below) - but either failed to provide basic rules for his deputy, or had them ignored. The UN is not reforming itself.
On November 20, Inner City Press asked Ban's spokesman Stephane Dujarric, transcript here:
Inner City Press: I know that the Secretary-General had asked for an audit of the UN’s interaction with the Global Sustainability Foundation headed by Sheri Yan who has been indicted and whose finance official is now apparently plea bargaining with the Government. So what I wanted to ask you is this, I went to an event yesterday at 50 UN Plaza at which the Deputy Secretary-General was present, so was the new PGA, and there were two board members/special advisors to Global Sustainability Foundation in attendance, one spoke and one was in attendance. This lead me to ask, has the Secretary-General, I mean, what is the current state of play? Has he provided guidance to his most senior officials to suspend interactions with the Global Sustainability Foundation’s people or, or, or what is happening?
Spokesman: That is clear that, that is obviously clear, you know, whether or not we are able to, first of all, I don’t know - I can’t confirm the facts you have given - but, obviously, UN officials participate in public events; we do our best to vet those events but we don’t always clear the guest list.
Inner City Press: I guess what I’m asking is, is it fair to say that this would also reply to Sun Kian Ip Foundation, that those who were either board membered or aligned with the formation of those two entities that have now been shown to be bribing the UN that UN officials?
Spokesman: We would expect UN officials not to work with these two entities. Thank you. I will go get our guests.
The UN has also been corrupted by Ng Lap Seng and his Sun Kian Ip Foundation and South South News, whose proposed Macau convention center and the South South event held in Macau in late August 2015 provide a snapshot which the UN has yet to explain. For more than a week they are rebuffing follow up questions after admitting to Inner City Press Ng flew at least 38 UN staff to Macau and paid for their hotel stays.
Now we learn that Macau was to have been the venue for another UN Office for South South Cooperation event of the "World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty," also funded by now indicted Ng Lap Seng. The WACAP event in Macau is being canceled. But it's worth nothing that WACAP was founded by the UN Development Program, and is still listed on UNDP's website as a "Partnership."
On November 19, Inner City Press asked UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, transcript here:
Inner City Press: after the indictment of Ng Lap Seng, something called the World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty has cancelled a similar conference to the one held in August he was going to hold in Macau, and this is due to the corruption scandal. But it turns out this World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty was founded by UNDP [United Nations Development Programme], is listed as one their partnerships, is somehow also related to office of South-South Cooperation, which, it seems, was going to move part of its headquarters to Macau until the scandal broke. So my question to you is, it seems like there's more… as time goes by, the… the… the, you know, intertwinement of Ng Lap Seng with various UN bodies, in this case, one that wasn't found… you always said founded by the General Assembly, only hosted in UNDP, this was a UNDP entity. How did this happen and what…?
Spokesman Djuarric: I would refer your question to the UNDP press office.
Inner City Press: But as you've referred to me the office of South-South Cooperation, and they’re not answering any more…?
Spokesman Dujarric: Call UNDP. Obviously, the Secretary-General has launched the audit that he talked about. He's asked… and he's asked all of the other entities to take a look at their relationship.
Inner City Press: Can one of these entities have a press conference? It's been like two months now. Has the…?
Spokesman: I think you should refer… you can call the UNDP press office.
Is Ban Ki-moon trying to root out corruption from the UN system?
Inner City Press submitted written questions to the UN Office for South South Cooperation on October 29. Press requests for a press conference by the Office's (new) director and auditor have gone unanswered. Now Ban Ki-moon's UN Secretariat is again referring questions about itself to UNDP.
On November 11, Inner City Press received this response:
From: [at] UNDP.org Date: Wed, Nov 11, 2015 at 11:58 AM Subject: Re: Press questions regarding "South South" event in Macau, documents signed by UNDP personnel [Dominica], re-request for list of UNDP attendees and Q&A press conference, etc To: Matthew Lee [at] InnerCityPress.com
"Mr. Lee, Some text that you can use on the record. My sincere apologies for the delay in responding, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any follow-up.
TO BE ATTRIBUTED TO: UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC)
Travel and DSA of 49 attendees were funded by UNOSSC, 38 of these were funded with resources from the SKIG Foundation. The remainder were funded with resources from other UNOSSC projects.
UNOSSC provided participants return air fare and a reduced daily subsistence allowance of 20 per cent during the conference as meals and accommodations were provided. This is in-keeping with rules and procedures on travel-related expenses for staff on mission.
Electronic devices containing copies of conference materials were provided to conference attendees by the SKIG Foundation.
UNOSSC and UNDP staff were instructed to return the devices to the SKIG Foundation through UNOSSC in accordance with UN rules and regulations."
Inner City Press has the same day submitted follow up questions at the November 11 UN noon briefing, Inner City Press of Spokesman Dujarric, video here, transcript here.
Inner City Press submitted basic follow up questions to OSSC at UNDP:
"Thanks for these partial answers, on which Inner City Press has the follow up questions below. As said, we are waiting for the document Theresa Liu of OSSC signed in Macau with Ng and Dominica Prime Minister Skerrit, all other documents Ms. Liu signed in Macau, and with member states as SS-GATE. There will be more questions; these are follow-ups on what you sent, on the same day you sent them:
You wrote 'Travel and DSA of 49 attendees were funded by UNOSSC, 38 of these were funded with resources from the SKIG Foundation. The remainder were funded with resources from other UNOSSC projects.'
Inner City Press follow up: please provide a list of all donors to UNOSCC, by date and amount, and specify which donations were used to cover "travel and DSA" of attendees.
You wrote 'UNOSSC provided participants return air fare and a reduced daily subsistence allowance of 20 per cent during the conference as meals and accommodations were provided. This is in-keeping with rules and procedures on travel-related expenses for staff on mission.'
Inner City Press follow up: For both the 49 attendees whose travel and DSA were "funded by UNOSSC" and those 38 attendees "funded with resources from the SKIG Foundation," were any of these funds paid to the hotel, or were accommodation costs comped by the hotel owner? What was the value of the accommodation costs, and has this been reflected as an additional contribution to UNDP/UNOSSC?
You wrote: 'UNOSSC and UNDP staff were instructed to return the devices to the SKIG Foundation through UNOSSC in accordance with UN rules and regulations.'
Inner City Press follow up: on what date, and by whom, were UNDP/UNOSSC staff "instructed to return the devices"? Please confirm whether all 49 attendees (funded by UNOSSC) and all 38 attendees (funded by SKIG) received the "devices", and that all such "devices" have been returned."]
Please provide answers to these follow ups, and the requested documents, as quickly as possible and as they become available. Thank you, Inner City Press has further questions and reiterates its request for a Q&A press conference."
To these factual follow up questions, this has been OSSC at UNDP's response:
"Matthew, A response that you can use on the record.
TO BE ATTRIBUTED TO: UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC)
Travel-related expenses of UNOSSC and UNDP participants at the conference was funded in accordance with rules and procedures for staff on mission.
All United Nations staff are bound by staff regulations, which include rules on the receipt of gifts.
If the ongoing audit of UNOSSC reveals evidence that staff regulations were not followed, appropriate action will be taken according to established procedures."
Will any of it be public? Where for example is the document UN OSSCE's Teresa Liu signed in Macau with Ng and Dominica's Skerrit?
On October 22 Inner City Press published the invitation letter to the Macau conference, here, which notably said that “all local expenses will be covered by the host.” Attendees tell Inner City Press that those present were given iPads with the name of Ng's company emblazoned on them: where have these gone?
While there were many attendees, over 170, those from Ban Ki-moon's Secretariat, some of them mis-described, standout. So too does the UN Correspondents Association's Vice President, the same correspondent who took the first set-aside question to Hillary Clintonduring her “email-gate” stakeout in front of the UN Security Council, and asks if questions about the private server were only being pursued because she's a woman. (Ng's previous interaction with the Clintons is well-documented.)
Given that UNCA's Presideng Giampaolo Pioli accepted funds from Ng's South South News, which was then given an UNCA award while Ng got a photo op with Ban Ki-moon at UNCA's Award Dinner at Cipiani on 42nd Street, the question arises: what was UNCA's Vice President doing on the attendee list at Ng's Macau confab in August 2015? We'll have more on this.
On October 22, Inner City Press asked UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq about the UN Secretariat staff who traveled to Macau - and was told, paradoxically, that (only) UNDP could or would answer. From the UN transcript: Inner City Press: there was this big South-South event that took place in Macau in late August. Here is what I want to ask you about it: I see now the invitation letter that went out and it said that it was sponsored by a UN agency and other strategic partners, and it also says that, quote, all local expenses will be covered by the host. And the participant list includes a number people from the Secretariat, DFS, Global Compact, some Secretariat staff, at least one Secretariat staff member listed as a member of his country’s, his native country's delegation, which is a little strange. So I wanted to know what are the rules, what rules apply to travel by UN staff, taking, accepting expenses from hosts and traveling as a part of the delegation of their native country?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, regarding that particular visit, I believe the Office on South-South Cooperation has information on that, so I'll have them get back to you with that.
Inner City Press: Can they do a press conference? Because I put in the question 10 days ago.
Deputy Spokesman: They have been answering questions from reporters fairly rigorously and so that will continue.
Inner City Pres: What are the UN Secretariat rules? That is my question to you. I'm not asking about UNDP. I can name the individuals, but there was an individual from DFS, there was an individual from the Global Compact who attended and host covered all costs?
Deputy Spokesman: Like I said, there is relevant information on this by the Office for South-South Cooperation, so I'll have them share that with you.
Background: As the scandal unveiled in the corruption charges against former UN General Assembly President John Ashe, Ng Lap Seng, Francis Lorenzo of South South News and others continues to expand, the compromised position of the UN Correspondents Association has come to the fore.
In 2011 until now, Inner City Press has exposed UNCA for taking funds from Ng Lap Seng vehicles, to which it gave awards, and arranging Ng Lap Seng photo op(s) with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. UNCA has not provided any explanation; the UN through Ban's spokesman has said for example that many people get photographs with Ban. But people like Ng previously found in US Senate reports to have made irregular campaign contributions, and co-owning hotels links to prostitution?
On October 20, Inner City Press asked UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq about Ng, and about how much money the Global Sustainability Foundation gave for the UN's “Ark of Return” (anti) slavery memorial. Haq wouldn't give the dollar figure - it's at least $60,000 -- and seemed to says it doesn't matter where the UN takes money from, only how the UN uses it. Video here.
Inner City Press: Okay. I want to ask you another question. Mr. Ng Lap Seng, who's now out on $50 million bail, it seemed he sort of penetrated the UN system, including several photo ops with Ban Ki-moon against a blue background in Cipriani's, I wanted to ask you, a major financial newspaper, just on cursory research, said he's a co-owner of the Fortuna Hotel, which has… quote, this is all from their promotional material, table dancing by strippers, boasted attractive and attentive hostesses from China, Singapore and Korea, and erotic girls from Europe and Russia. And I wanted to know, given, given everything that's said from this podium about UN Women and the need to take these issues seriously, how is it possible… how is it possible that this, an individual engaged in these activities, came… came to such a position of prominence and, and, and closeness to the Secretary-General?
Deputy Spokesman: Matthew, we do not speak for David Ng Lap Seng or his group or his business holdings. Any questions on that have to go to his organizations. The United Nations does not deal with any of the, of the entities, with entities like the ones that you've described.
Inner City Press: The money from it was donated to various UN causes. That’s why I'm asking you to respond to this pending, this unending audit, what do you think of this?
Deputy Spokesman: The nature of corporations is that any corporation can have many, many different holdings. I'm not going to comment on all of the holdings of different groups, depending upon what they do with the UN. What we're trying to monitor is how the funds from these groups affected the UN and the dealings with the two entities that we've been talking about. That's being audited, and we'll follow up on that. But the group's activities as a whole, that's an issue for other authorities. It's not…
It's not an issue for the United Nations…
Inner City Press: I understand what the audit is…
Deputy Spokesman: It has nothing, it actually has no actual relevance to the work we've done.
Question: It's just how the money is spent by the UN, not where the money came from?
Deputy Spokesman: The audit is designed to follow up on what effect, what impact, the activities the groups and of the monies that they spent have and that's what we're following up on...
Inner City Press: Is it, are you, is the Secretariat yet viewing the… Secretariat viewing the charges of the Southern District of New York as mostly or entirely related to the PGA [President of the General Assembly]? I guess I'm asking this because things like South-South News... Yesterday, I'd asked Stéphane at the founding of the Global Sustainability Foundation, there was Mr. Nambiar. There was the spouse of the Secretary-General. There was not Mr. Ashe anywhere to be seen. So I just want to be clear. Is this an audit about two… merely two entities, but as relates to the UN Secretariat or just to the PGA's office?
Deputy Spokesman: No, no, it's as we have, it's as we described in the statement before. It's about the UN as a whole.
Background: Ng Lap Seng was found to have brought the same bags of cash later deployed at the UN into the US earlier, in the late 90s, when his Fortuna hotel was linked to organized crime and even human trafficking. From the WSJ:
“Who is Ng Lap Seng, and what did he want? According to several well-informed sources in Hong Kong and Macau, Mr. Ng is a mysterious figure with extensive business in China, where he also held a minor post as a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference in his hometown of Nan Hai in Guangdong province. In Macau, his most visible interest is his ownership of the Fortuna Hotel, a garish high-rise in the gambling district, featuring a 20,000-square-foot nightclub with 'table dancing' by strippers, as well as a massage parlor and, according to its brochure, 'over 30 independent karaoke rooms, all luxuriously decorated with the most advanced sound system for any one interested in performing his favorite songs.' The brochure also boasts 'attractive and attentive hostesses from China, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Burma together with erotic girls from Europe and Russia, certainly offer you an exciting and unforgettable evening with friends or business associates.'”
So what does UN Women, which has still to comment on UN Peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous linking rapes to “R&R,” same about Ban's UN (through UNCA) accepting “pimp and trafficker” Ng Lap Seng into the UN, and into UNCA's Cipriani ball for photos with Ban and his spouse? We'll have more on this.
Just as UNCA "leaders" from Voice of America and Reuters(censorship bid here) tried to use the UN to get the investigative Press out, now the UN responds to questions about UNCA selling Secretary General Ban Ki-moon photo ops to Ng Lap Seng by suggesting that the questioner, because present, "condoned" the sale.
Now, with UNCA still silent on its links with South South News and other Ng Lap Seng vehicles, here is video Inner City Press published in December 2011 of UNCA's murky photo ops for Ban at Cipriani, which UNCA seeks to reproduce this coming December.
Even then in December 2011, Inner City Press' accompanying story reported that it
"filmed what it could of the photo op -- those arranging it kept telling the Press it had to leave -- and afterward several in Ban's circle said they had no idea who the businessmen had been. There was dark talk about one David Ng, a businessman who has bankrolled 'vanity' media projects given awards that night -- people funded by Ng used the word "vanity," so we use it here."
Inner City Press published that in December 2011 about Ng and South South News; it quit UNCA and with another Executive Committee member who quit in disgust co-founded FUNCA, the Free UN Coalition for Access. UNCA continued taking funds from South South News. We'll have more on this.
While UNCA does not represent all journalists accredited to cover the UN -- Inner City Press for example quit the group in 2012 with another Executive Committee member and co-founded the new Free UN Coalition for Access -- the UN gives it a privileged position, a large clubhouse on the third floor of the UN and, automatically, the first question at press conferences.
But is that appropriate, given that UNCA received money from South South News, “NGO 1” in the filing against Ashe? Not only did UNCA receive money from South South News: it gave the group an “UNCA award” at a ceremony at the high-ceilinged Cipriani's restaurant on December 15, 2011.
Inner City Press, which did not quit UNCA in fully ripened disgust in 2012, was present in December 2011 and witnessed, when Secretary General Ban Ki-moon came into Cipriani's, him being shepherded into a side room for photographs with Asian men in business suits who Inner City Press did not then recognize -- but now does.
UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric, when Inner City Press asked on October 13 about what it had seen, said perhaps Inner City Press had "condoned" it. Video here. But Inner City Press quit UNCA afterfinding conflicts of interest in it, and being "ordered" to not report on this. From the October 13 transcript:
Inner City Press: I want to ask inevitably about the revelations about Mr. [John] Ashe and Frank Lorenzo and others. And just as you… as the lead Spokesman, a person that travels around with the Secretary-General, how… what would you say to the photos that exist of the Secretary-General with David Ng, who was since indicted, and Frank Lorenzo and, particularly, in instances where it appears that groups that receive contributions from the two and then put them in a room to have photographs with the Secretary-General? Is this something that… how does the Secretary-General view this in retrospect, and what's going to be done in the future?
Spokesman: First of all, a photo of the Secretary-General with any individual should in no way be interpreted as a sponsorship or agreement. It's just a photo. The Secretary-General is very much a public figure, attends a lot of public events where there are a lot of people. Sometimes people come up to him and ask to have their photo taken. And it's done within the… within, obviously, the security constraints that need to be had. I think whether it's the Secretary-General of the United Nations or anyone in leadership position, you will find when you travel with them that a lot of people want to have their photo taken with them. Inasmuch as that is… we try to control that, sometimes it's difficult to do so. I think the Secretary-General is as shocked as anyone in this building at the charges that were levelled at these two individuals. And he's very disappointed at the accusations towards the United Nations.
Inner City Press: obviously, to business interests having an actual kind of formal handshaking one, I guess I'll just say that that is worth something to them. That's why they…
Spokesman: I'm not… I'm not debating that point… [cross talk] I'm just saying that having a picture of the Secretary-General with any individual should in no way be seen as a sponsorship, approval, making them BFF's or anything.
Inner City Press: I guess I just want to be more specific. If an event… and there's one that actually, as it turns out, I witnessed in Cipriani. If the Secretary-General enters a large space and is then taken to a smaller space for such photographs, what's the basis for that, as opposed to people with selfies? I mean, I understand what you're saying…
Spokesman: I think, you know, if you were there, then maybe you condoned the event as well. The issue is the Secretary-General attends a lot of events. Sometimes there is a VIP reception. None of it should be construed as anything as the Secretary-General having his picture taken with anyone.
Inner City Press: it's been a number of days now; I'm assuming that, if not you, OLA [Office of Legal Affairs], someone has read through this long FBI [Federal Bureau of Investigation] affidavit. And I want to just ask you again, because in it, it says that, after the… the… the official UN document about the Macau centre was procured, there was a separate payment to Mr. Ashe, separate communications with a UN official number one, who reissued the document as a… amended… revised for technical reasons, with the name of the company in it. And it seems to me, even before you waiting for an OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services] investigation, the scope of which wouldn't touch that, who in the UN is actually… how does it work, first of all? Who… which part of the UN amends documents after they're released? Is it DGACM [Department for General Assembly and Conference Management]…?
Spokesman: Listen, I'm not going to talk about the specifics of the case. But it is clear that if the President of one of the legislative bodies in this Organization which controls the agenda, or a sponsoring country for resolution, asks the Secretary-General to amend a text, we serve as the Secretariat. It's not… it's… it doesn't entail sponsoring of what's inside that text.
While Inner City Press' answer to the spokesman's "if you were there, then maybe you condoned the event as well," is that Inner City Press quit UNCA after finding conflicts of interest in it, and being "ordered" to not report on this, we'll have more on this.
On October 13, Inner City Press asked this follow up:
Inner City Press: I just want to directly ask you about the idea that it's sort of people struggling to get photos with the UN officials. There was a… there was a peacekeeping day concert that was… for which solicitation of… you know, sponsorship was sought by a group called World Harmony Alliance, and it had nothing… the group has nothing to do with peacekeeping, but they paid for day. They… they… in fact, the funder complained that he didn't get the promised photograph with Ban Ki-moon, but I wonder, what was… what's the UN's understanding when they take outside financial sponsorship for such a day? I mean, former UN official [Ibrahim] Gambari was seen with the same group taking photographs on the fourth floor in the Millennium Hotel. What's it all about? What’s happening?
Spokesman: What former officials do in hotels is really not of my purview.
Inner City Press: Sure. What about UN peacekeeping?
Spokesman: I would take a look at that actual programme, but I would expect every part of the UN to do due diligence when it partners with an outside organization. And just… I'll leave it at that.
On October 12, Inner City Press asked Ban's deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq, video here, transcript here:
Inner City Press: in light of these charges against John Ashe, Frank Lorenzo, and others, it's emerging that the Secretary-General, if not met, had staged photo opportunities with a number of the individuals charged. And I wanted to know, in looking at this, do you have some kind of a comment on how these occurred, particularly in instances where they may have been arranged by a third party, been arranged by an organization that invited Ban Ki-moon and then received funds from South-South News or others and then put the two together on photograph? Was that appropriate? And what would be your response to… to OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services] looking at that or otherwise?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, regarding that, as you're aware, the Office of Internal Oversight Services will do an audit. They've been requested to do that, and so we'll be able to see whether there was any effect from either the relationship with these various groups, these two groups, the Sun Kian Ip Group and the Global Sustainability Foundation, and any of the monies received. So, we'll await what they have to say about any of this.
Inner City Press: But, given that Mr. Frank Lorenzo has been charged and he's now out on $2 million bail, he was head of South-South News, which spread $12 million, according to the documents, throughout the UN system. So, what was, how, what was the criteria used to choose these two NGOs and not either South-South News or International Organization for South-South Cooperation or South South Steering Committee on Sustainable Development? It seems like it's a very limited inquiry and…
Deputy Spokesman: It's not really an inquiry. It's an audit, and this is initial step. If OIOS feels like there is something… there's a direction which they need to go as a result of these initial results, they're certainly free to do that, but we needed to get the ball rolling and have an initial step forward so that we can look into what exactly is the impact of the monies and the relationship with these groups.
John Ashe at UNCA with former president, after and before Pioli click photo for source / credit
Back in December 2011, shepherding Ban for this (compensated) photo op with dubious businessmen was Giampaolo Pioli, then as now the president of UNCA. South South News interviewed Pioli that night, bragging of the UNCA award it got / paid for, screenshot from video here.
(For context it must be noted too that Pioli rented one of his Manhattan apartments to Palitha Kohona then granted Kohona's request as Sri Lanka's Ambassador to screen his government's war crimes denial film “Lies Agreed To” in the UN's Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium: this precipitated Inner City Press quitting UNCA, in full disclosure.)
How can UNCA be given first questions to ask about a scandal involving South South News, from which UNCA took more then to which it gave an award? And what are the other implications?
(In terms of Mr. Ng's desire for photo ops, Inner City Press is informed that he separately wanted a photo with US President Obama, and paid six figures to a middleman - who disappeared with the money. UNCA on the other hand, one wag noted, delivered Ban Ki-moon for photos at Cipriani's.)
UNCA, it should be noted, has been and is open to business interested beyond Mr. Ng and South South News. Another UNCA awards ceremony was sponsored by a company called “Acoona;” the Italian oil company ENI pays the group money.
But UNCA's South South News connection, given what has been disclosed and charged this week, should at a minimum and as a first step disqualify UNCA from first questions from the UN, and from the continuation of its role.
Consider: if it gave rise to criminal charges that South South News paid Ashe to get a GA document for Ng to show off in Macau, who about South South News paying UNCA, and UNCA delivering Ban for a photo op with Ng, that Ng could use for related purposes? We'll have more on this.
Wider, and going forward in this series, limiting UN investigation to OIOS - whose director of investigations Stefanovic has resigned, Inner City Press hereby exclusively reported on October 9 - looking at only two NGOs is laughable. The scandal is expanding: there is a pattern here, pattern and practice. Watch this site.
