miércoles, junio 16, 2004

EL ZORRO Y EL GALLINERO: El departamento de anti-corrupción de las Naciones Unidas, dirigido por el subsecretario general de la organización, Dilep Nair, se encuentra en medio de un escándalo de proporciones más que notables en relación con el encubrimiento en el fraude multimillonario del programa Petróleo por Alimentos (del que ya escribí anteriormente), y por decretar ascensos en el mismo a cambio de dinero y favores sexuales:
The head of the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services, Undersecretary-General Dileep Nair, has been accused of promoting and recruiting people in ways that are not consistent with U.N. rules and regulations. Also, a senior investigator has been suspended and there have been accusations of financial and sexual misconduct.

The scrutiny of Nair and his division comes at a delicate time, as the United Nations is under intense scrutiny for alleged abuse of the Iraqi oil-for-food program. In fact, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (search) is the U.N. agency charged with looking into any abuses within the United Nations and that includes oil-for-food.

Nair has been accused of covering up abuses of the oil-for-food program. So far, his office has carried out 55 internal audits of the process that before the U.S.-led war against Saddam Hussein's regime allowed Iraqi oil to be sold so food could be purchased for Iraqis.

Other allegations of impropriety include charges that some inside the OIOS received financial kickbacks in return for promoting people and that some people were promoted in exchange for sexual favors.

One group within the United Nations that has raised concerns about Nair and his office is the United Nations Staff Union. In April, the group called on U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (search) to establish an independent investigation of the Office of Internal Oversight Services.
Y no, los asuntos escabrosos en la organización-totem tampoco son ninguna novedad.