ICP
Asks UN Spox
of UN
"Ambassador"
Emma Watson in
Panama Papers
Like Ng
By Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS, May
11 -- As the
UN bribery
scandal
gathered force
Secretary
General Ban
Ki-moon called
for an audit
by the UN
Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services. The
audit,
completed
early this
year but first
put online
by Inner City
Press,
directly
criticizes
Cristina
Gallach, the
Under
Secretary
General for
Communications
and Public
Information,
including for
her lack of
due diligence
and for
dealings with
South South
News, which
appears in the
Panama Papers.
Now, perhaps
less sinister
than Ng Lap
Seng and his
South South
News but
nonetheless,
UN Goodwill
Ambassador
Emma Watson
appears in the
Panama Papers,
and through a
spokesperson says
Emma "set up
an offshore
company for
the sole
purpose of
protecting her
anonymity."
Exactly.
So on
May 11, Inner
City Press
asked UN
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric about
it, including
whether Ban
Ki-moon
believes UN
Goodwill
Ambassadors
should not set
up offshore
anonymous
shell
companies.
All
Dujarric, who
is also
dodging on Ng
and Francis
Lorenzo who
has pleaded
guilty to UN
bribery
charges, would
says is that
Ban expects
them to live
up to the
highest
ethical
standards. Vine here, UN
transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: You may
have seen that
Emma Watson, a
fine advocate
but also UN
Goodwill
Ambassador,
has confirmed
that she has
an offshore
company
through
Mossack
Fonseca, in
the Panama
Papers.
So I wanted to
know, various
people in the
UN system have
said that this
information is
important,
that it shows
tax evasion,
that people
shouldn’t do
it, that it
undermines
development.
Does the UN
have any
position on
whether its
goodwill
ambassadors
should have
their own
shell
companies
through
British Virgin
Islands or
elsewhere?
[inaudible]
Spokesman:
I haven’t seen
that
particular
report.
We would
expect all of
our goodwill
ambassadors to
uphold the
highest
ethical
standards.
Back on
April 26,
Inner City
Press again
asked Dujarric
if Ban favors
the full
release of the
Panama Papers,
including to
the U.S.
Attorney for
this ongoing
Ng Lap Seng UN
bribery case,
and about
another UN
system audit,
withheld. Video here; UN
transcript further below.
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you again
about the
Panama
Papers.
I know that…
yesterday
you'd said
that you'd
acknowledged
that the SDGs
(Sustainable
Development
Goals) do
refer to
transparency.
But I've seen
that the form…
the high-level
panel on
financial…
illicit
financial
flows from
Africa that
the UN had
with the AU,
Mr. [Thabo]
Mbeki has said
that these
papers, you
know, cast
great light on
an issue of
much interest
to the United
Nations.
So I wanted to
ask you again,
very
specifically,
should… does
the
Secretary-General
believe that
this trove of
documents
should be
provided to
prosecutors
interested…
that have open
criminal cases
involving
people that
are in them?
Spokesman:
I think if
prosecutors
need those
papers, they
should… they
will put in a
request to
access to
them…
Inner City
Press:
No, because
there's a…
Spokesman:
No, I
understand,
Matthew, but I
really have
nothing else
to add...
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you,
especially in
the run-up to
this CEB
meeting,
there's a big
controversy
around WIPO
(World
Intellectual
Property
Organization)
and a withheld
OIOS (Office
of Internal
Oversight
Services)
audit that
involves
possible
misconduct by
the head of
WIPO, Mr.
Francis Gurry,
and it seems
like here you
were saying
that… that,
you know,
transparency,
OIOS releases
its documents
there.
Only three
pages have
been released,
and so there's
many Member
States but
also people
interested in
UN corruption
are interested
in them.
Does he have a
view… does the
Secretary-General
have a view
whether that
document
should, in
fact, be
released?
Spokesman:
I know… from
what I know,
the OIOS
report was
shared with
the Governing
Council of
WIPO, which is
a specialized
agency with
its own
governing
body.
Obviously,
whatever can
be done to
support the
work of OIOS
should be
done.
On April
25, Inner City
Press asked
Ban's
spokesman
Dujarric how
it is
acceptable
that Gallach,
given her
appearances in
the OIOS
audit, did not
recuse herself
from the
decision to
oust and evict
Inner City
Press. Video
here.
Dujarric,
after saying
"this is your
last
question," Vine here, made a point of
saying Inner
City Press was
not thrown out
for its
questions
about
corruption.
No? Only for
trying to, as
part of the UN
bribery story,
cover an event
in the UN
Press Briefing
Room that was
nowhere listed
as closed?
Anyway,
the obvious
need for
Gallach to
recuse herself
is a separate,
open and shut
question.
Dujarric said
he didn't go
to law school
but he
understands
what recusal
means. Vine
here. If
so, Gallach's
decision must
be reversed.
Inner City
Press also
asked Dujarric
about the
Panama Papers
and if they
should be
released.
South
South News
appeared in
the Panama
Papers leak,
as
incorporated
in the British
Virgin
Islands. Inner
City Press
asked the UN
how then SSN
was allowed
into the UN
"Global
Compact," and
if any other
Global Compact
members appear
in the Panama
Papers. No
answer from
the UN.
Now
prosecutor
Preet Bharara
has written to
the ICIJ -
which has said
it will not
cooperate. It
sounds
principled -
but why then,
for example,
did big media
Agence
France Presse,
Voice
of America
and others share
information
with the
authorities
lobbying for
the ouster of
Inner City
Press from the
UN?
(Worse,
Reuters not
only targeted
Inner City
Press but also
passed through
South South
News' defense,
without
disclosing
that its UN
bureau chief
Lou
Charbonneau
and now
reporter
Michelle
Nichols being
on the
Executive
Committee of
the UN
Correspondents
Association,
which took
Ng's SSN's
money then
arranged a
photo op for
Ng with Ban
Ki-moon at the
UNCA ball
created and
creates a
conflict of
interest.)
These
are selective
principles -
and the
implications
of Ng Lap
Seng's
bribery, to
the very top
of the UN,
have yet to be
fully plumbed
but will be,
despite
harassment,
eviction and
big media
trolls.
Inner
City Press on
April 25 asked
Dujarric if
Ban Ki-moon,
whose
statement
often pay lip
service to the
Sustainable
Development
Goals which
include the
idea that
funding exists
but is
currently
hidden in tax
havens and
illicit
financial
flows,
believes the
prosecutor
should get and
follow up on
the
files. From the UN
transcript:
Inner City
Press: the US
Attorney Preet
Bharara has
requested
access to the
full database
of the Panama
Papers, which
he says are
relevant to a
criminal
investigation
his office
has.
Since one of
his criminal
investigations
involves Ng
Lap Seng and
the UN bribery
scandal, I
wanted to
know, does the
UN have a
position on
whether
documents
related to tax
evasion or
avoidance
should be made
available to
prosecutors?
And I say it
in the context
of everything
we heard about
SDGs
[Sustainable
Development
Goals] and
illicit
financial
flows.
Spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric:
I think the
Sec… the…
Inner City
Press:
Do you call
for these
documents to
be released?
Spokesman:
Listen, I…
first of all,
I'm not going
to comment on
whatever the
US Attorney
here in New
York
said. I
think the SDGs
do call for
greater
transparency.
Inner City
Press:
Okay.
There's one
other related
one.
Should I do it
now?
Spokesman:
One. And
that's your
last question.
Inner City
Press: This
happened on
Friday, so
there was no
briefing, so I
got to ask you
about it
today.
The OIOS
[Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services]
report into
the John
Ashe/Ng Lap
Seng matter
was put on
OIOS'… its
website.
It's
final.
So, now that
it is and now
that it's no
longer
discussing a
“leaked
document or
improperly
uploaded
document”, I
wanted to ask
you, given
that the OIOS
audit in
paragraphs 37
through 40 and
in 20B
specifically
say that the
Under-Secretary-General
of the
Department of
Public
Information
did not
conduct due
diligence,
thereby
allowing
these… the
activities in
the lobby and
at the slavery
memorial, how
is it
appropriate
that this
official
without
recusal
ordered the
ouster and
eviction of a
journalist
asking about
this very
issue? I
just need to
have a
one-sentence
answer.
Spokesman:
First of all,
I think you're
mixing up two
things.
You know very
well why the
actions
against you
were
taken.
It had nothing
do with the
questions
you're asking
or have asked.
Inner City
Press:
You understand
what recusal
is?
Recusal…[means
when you have
a conflict of
interest, you
do not make
the decision]
Spokesman:
I may not have
gone to law
school, but I
do understand
it. And
on your first…
on the first
part of your
question, I
think the
audit is clear
as to the
recommendations
that
departments
need to make.
Inner City
Press:
What actions
are going to
be taken?
Spokesman:
Khalas.
The
UN's Cristina
Gallach,
without
recusing
herself,
unilaterally
deactivated
Inner City
Press UN
residential
correspondents
pass on
February 19,
and had Inner
City Press'
reporter
physically
thrown out on
First Avenue
without coat
or passport. Audio
here.
This is
called
retaliation.
Then, after
misrepresenting
the
restrictions
she has put on
the Press, she
ordered
the final
eviction
of all of
Inner City
Press'
investigative
files on
Saturday,
April 16 - video here and here
(Periscope).
(On
April 18,
while even
with its BAN
and
Gallach-reduced
accreditation
Inner City
Press is
supposed to be
able to enter
the UN until 7
pm, the UN
Guard on duty
at the 46th
Street
entrance said
no, only until
6 pm. Lawless.
On April 19,
Inner City
Press was BANned
from covering
Kerry and
Zarif.)
Now,
the South
South News
scandal
connects with
the so-called
Panama Papers,
about which
Inner City
Press twice
asked the UN
last week. Ng
Lap Seng, who
controlled the
groups which
were not
reviewed by
Gallach and
got face time
with Ban
Ki-moon. On
April 19,
Inner City
Press asked
Ban Ki-moon's
spokesman
Stephane
Dujarric, UN transcript
here:
Inner City
Press: I
wanted to ask
you this,
about the
Panama Paper,
the issue that
came up
yesterday of
South-South
News, in fact,
being a
British Virgin
Islands
corporation
that appears
in the Panama
Papers, the
President of
the General
Assembly had
said actually
yesterday that
all
organizations,
presumably
including the
UN, should
review things
in light of
the Panama
Papers and tax
evasions.
So, my
question to
you is, are
there other
entities that
have joined
and are
currently
members of the
Global Compact
which appear
in the now
public
database of
the Panama
Papers as
shell
companies?
Spokesman:
I think… I
can't answer
that. I
think that's a
question you
need to raise
directly with
the Global
Compact.
Inner City
Press:
Can they
come?
Can they come
here?
Spokesman:
I think you
could call
them.
Thank you.
Inner City
Press:
Questions on
Western Sahara
and South
Sudan.
But given how
little time we
have, I want
to be sure to
ask you this
question,
particularly
now that my
files were
moved out onto
First Avenue
on
Saturday.
My question is
as
follows:
My question
is, as… in the
UN OIOS
(Office of
Internal
Oversight
Services)
audit and in
the whole
discussion
since the
indictments in
October, it’s
been said that
this is an
audit of NGOs
(non-governmental
organizations),
South-South
News… didn’t
actually…
Global
Sustainability
Foundation,
Sun Kian Ip
foundation.
And as you… I
would trust
that you know,
in the Panama
Papers,
McClatchy has
reported that,
in fact, Ng
Lap Seng’s
South-South
News was, in
fact, a
for-profit
entity
incorporated
in the British
Virgin
Islands, a tax
haven.
And so, one,
how can it be
that a UN
audit into
this doesn’t…
didn’t reflect
on this?
What does it
change in
terms of it
being… there
was a press
conference
here in which
civil society
said there’s
been a
corporate, you
know, invasion
of the UN, and
I would say…
tie it to the
Ban Ki-moon
era.
Spokesman:
What’s the
question?
Inner City
Press:
My question
is, now that
it’s clear
from the
Panama Papers,
a major global
scandal, that
Ng Lap Seng,
who paid
bribes to get
into the UN,
in fact, used
offshore
corporations
to do it…
Spokesman:
What is the
question?
Inner City
Press:
The question
is, isn’t this
audit a little
more than a
cover-up, in
that it
doesn’t…
[inaudible]
Spokesman:
No.
Question:
How can UN
auditors not
find
[inaudible]…
Spokesman:
There is a
criminal
investigation
going on,
which, as we
said, we would
work with and
cooperate with
whatever… and,
obviously,
look at the
requests from
the US Federal
authorities.
As I
mentioned, the
audit is a
first
step.
Other
investigations
are going
on. And
South-South
News’s status
is being
reviewed
here. I
will say, for
the record,
that your
files were not
moved out on
First
Avenue.
From what I
gather and
from watching
the live
broadcast over
the weekend,
you refused to
provide an
address for
them to be
shipped.
Question:
Because I
don’t trust
them.
Spokesman:
Well, that’s…
but that’s
your choice.
Question:
Why would
I? Would
you?
Spokesman:
That’s your
choice.
I don’t want
you to portray
that they’ve
been moved or
thrown out.
Question:
They were
thrown out
onto First
Avenue.
Ban Ki-moon…
"Ng is listed
as a
shareholder of
two British
Virgin Islands
companies –
South South
News
International
Group Ltd in
May 2010 and
GOLUCK Ltd. in
2004.
He leads a
real estate
development
company in
Macau, China,
and is one of
the world’s
wealthiest
people. He was
accused in
1996 of
sending more
than $1.1
million to a
Little Rock
restaurant
owner who then
contributed
hundreds of
thousands of
dollars to the
Democratic
National
Committee,
according to a
1998 Senate
committee
investigation.
The restaurant
owner, Charlie
Trie, pleaded
guilty to
violating
campaign
finance laws.
Ng was not
charged.
Another
congressional
report
criticized Ng
and others for
failing to
cooperate
during the
investigation.
Published
reports say Ng
visited the
White House 10
times from
1994 to 1996,
had his
photograph
taken with
Bill and
Hillary
Clinton, sat
beside Bill
Clinton at an
event at a
Washington
hotel, and
rode in an
elevator with
Hillary
Clinton.
Last year, Ng
was charged
with bribing a
United Nations
official and
lying about
what he was
doing with
$4.5 million
in cash he
brought into
the U.S. over
two years.
Investigators
say instead of
spending it at
casinos or on
art, antiques
or real
estate, he
used the money
for bribes as
he sought
investments in
Antigua and
China. Another
man listed in
the same
criminal
complaint is
president of
the New
York-based
South South
News, the same
name of the
British Virgin
Islands
company.
Ng’s lawyer,
Kevin Tung,
has said that
his charges
are based on a
misunderstanding.
Tung, Benjamin
Brafman and
Hugh Mo, two
others who are
or have
represented
Ng, did not
respond to
requests for
comment."
Any due
diligence by
Gallach, prior
to allowing
the Vistors
Lobby event
and slavery
memorial
foundation,
would have
revealed these
disqualifiers.
Furthermore,
this shows the
weakness of
OIOS' audit.
OIOS refers to
South South
News as an
"NGO." The UN
has a
relationship
with this BVI
for-profit
corporation,
then absolves
itself about
dealings with
Ng Lap Seng,
while Ban's
and Gallach's
response is to
throw the
Press in the
street.
On
April 15,
Inner City
Press asked UN
Deputy
Spokesperson
Farhan Haq how
much Gallach
allowed the
corruption
Global
Sustainability
Foundation to
put into the
slavery event
Ban Ki-moon
attended, and
about the
Government
Accountability
Projects
letter to Ban
Ki-moon
charging him
with
retaliation. Video here. Follow @innercitypressFollow @FUNCA_info
, 
