Inner City Press United Nations Report - December 22, 2005

  At the United Nations on December 21, Kofi Annan accused British journalist James Bone of “behaving like an overgrown schoolboy in this room for many, many months and years.” Bone had asked about Kofi Annan’s son’s Kojo’s purchase of a Mercedes for $14,000 using diplomatic discounts intended only for the secretary-general. Close observers of UN-media relations note that Annan’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric had been asked the same question by Bone on Monday, December 19, but had not answered.  The focus of the Monday press briefing had been the UN’s inquiry into Syria’s involvement in political assassinations in Lebanon. The questions about procurement impropriety and nepotism were a side show on Monday, but became the source of a rare outburst by Annan on Wednesday. The U.N. Correspondents Association has come to James Bone’s defense, and many correspondents, including this one, note that the nepotism and even corruption questions have yet to be answered.

©opyright 2006 Inner City Press, Inc. To request reprint or other permission, e-contact Editors [at] innercitypress.com - phone: (718) 716-3540