Complainant
of UN Sexual
Abuse Loses
Contract, Says
NYPD Banned
from Arresting
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
March 2 -- The
UN claims a
policy of
"zero
tolerance"
for sexual
abuse and
harassment,
but when a
complainant of
such
harassment in
the UN Office
of Human
Resources
Management in
380
Madison Avenue
came forward,
she says the
New York
Police
Department
was blocked
from entering
this UN-rented
building to
effectuate an
arrest for
sexual
assault.
Inner
City Press has
repeatedly
asked the top
two spokesmen
of Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon about
the incident,
only to be
told that the
harassment
claim
is "sub
judice" --
being
investigated
-- and can't
be commented
on.
But
the
complainant
notes that
such UN
investigations
are supposed
to be
completed in
at most three
months. She
filed her
complaint in
September;
more than
three months
have passed
and now her
contracts
has not been
renewed.
As
Inner
City Press as
asked about
this, the UN
spokesman have
repeatedly
blurred the
barring of
NYPD from
entering to
arrest a UN
employee for
harassment
with a
separate
incident which
Inner City
Press
witnessed last
month after
the UN
allowed the
Sri Lankan
Mission to the
UN to use UN
Security to
discourage
press coverage
of
the presence
at the UN
Senior
Advisory Group
on
Peacekeeping
Operations of
General
Shavendra
Silva,
whose 58th
Division is
identified in
Ban's own
Panel of
Experts report
as engaged in
war
crimes.
Seeking
the UN's
response and
explanation
for banning
the NYPD,
Inner City
Press has
provided
increasingly
detailed
information,
including
citing a
January 12,
2012 letter
from OHRM
chief
Catherine
Pollard, which
we
are now putting
online here.
Nevertheless
on
March 1 Ban's
lead spokesman
Martin Nesirky
persisted in
blurring the
two incidents
and in
refusing to
answer. From
the UN's
transcript of
it March 1
noon briefing:
Inner
City
Press: it’s a
question about
380 Madison,
but it really
is
about UN
policy, I
think that we
may have, two
incidents may
have
been blurred
together.
Spokesperson
Nesirky:
By whom?
Inner
City
Press: In
answers from
the podium,
from your
side, you and
Eduardo. I am
asking about a
case, it’s a
complaint that
was filed
in September
by a then UN
contractor to
OHRM [Office
of Human
Resources
Management]
about sexual
abuse, and
there is a
letter back
from Catherine
Pollard dated
12 January
saying that it
is still being
looked into.
But in
connection
with that
case, not a
day last week,
but at some
previous date,
the New York
City Police
Department
went
to 380 Madison
to effectuate
an arrest of
an OHRM
manager, and
were
told they
couldn’t enter
the building
to make the
arrest. It
wasn’t serving
a warrant, I
want to
reiterate, the
individual
that
made the
complaint has
now not had a
contract
renewed, is
leaving the
country, but I
would like to
know, as a
matter of UN
policy,
whether
the New York
City Police
can enter 380
Madison to
arrest a UN
staff
member on a
criminal
complaint of
sexual abuse,
and if not,
why not?
Spokesperson:
You had an
answer on
that, Matthew.
Inner
City
Press: It was
the wrong one.
It’s the wrong
incident.
Spokesperson:
Well, you seem
to know what
the answer is
already, so I
am not sure
I need to
[inaudible],
Matthew.
Inner
City
Press: No,
please, I just
want to know,
because I feel
like it
has continued
to be
answering
about a
separate
incident, this
UN
staff member
subject to an
arrest warrant
for sexual
abuse, why
were
the police not
allowed in?
Spokesperson:
Matthew, the
answer you got
was quite
clear. First
of all, that
the
case that is
pending, and
therefore we
don’t comment
on it. And
separately,
there was
another
incident, and
there was
nothing to do
with the
United
Nations,
because you
seem to
conflate 380
Madison
with United
Nations
Headquarters.
It is a
building with
other
tenants in it.
Inner
City
Press: I will
be very brief.
The summons
which took
place the
day that I was
there covering
the senior
advisory group
has nothing
to do with her
case, that her
case is
specifically
UN-related,
and
she also says
that you keep
saying sub
judice or
whatever. Her
complaint was
in September.
It is supposed
to be
investigated
by the
UN in three
months and
hasn’t been.
So…
Spokesperson:
If it is
pending, if it
is pending, it
is sub judice…
Inner
City
Press: Right.
Spokesperson:
…which means
you can’t
comment on it.
Inner
City
Press: But
just the last…
Spokesperson:
That’s
standard
practice.
Inner
City
Press:
…allowing the
New York City
Police in to
do an arrest
of a UN
official has
nothing to do
with her case.
She wants to
know
why…
Spokesperson:
This was…
Inner
City
Press: This
took place on…
Spokesperson:
This was
unrelated to
the United
Nations.
Inner
City
Press: I urge
you…
Spokesperson:
…there was a
separate…
Inner
City
Press: I urge
you to ask
OHRM.
Spokesperson:
As I say, you
had an answer.
I have heard
what you…
Inner
City
Press: …it’s
about a
separate
incident.
Spokesperson:
That’s right,
that’s right.
Inner
City
Press: I know.
But you are
saying, in
this case, in
the case
that is under
sub judice…
there was no
attempt to
arrest a UN
OHRM
manager, I
just, yes or
no?
Spokesperson:
Matthew, you
don’t lay
down,
basically,
demands in
that way.
Inner
City
Press: You
keep saying
that you have
answered the
question, but
you haven't. I
am asking that
question.
Spokesperson:
Yeah, Matthew,
this is not
the Matthew
Lee show.
Inner
City
Press: It’s
not a show.
Spokesperson:
I’ll take a
look at it.
Inner
City
Press: You
didn’t allow
an arrest for
a sexual abuse
[inaudible]?
Spokesperson:
Matthew, I’ll
take a look at
it for you.
Inner
City
Press: Good,
thank you.
But
there
was still been
no answer.
Watch this
site.
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