Click for March 1, 2011 BloggingHeads.tv re Libya, Sri Lanka, UN Corruption by Inner City Press   2014: MRL on Beacon Reader

February 18, 2019

To Venezuela FM Inner City Press Asks Why Guterres Skipped UNSC Meeting and of Federal Reserve

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video CJR PFT Q&A

UNITED NATIONS GATE, February 11 – When the foreign minister of Venezuela, or at least of Nicolas Maduro, Jorge Arreaza emerged from the 3 Sutton Place mansion where UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres lives alone and met with him, Inner City Press asked Arreaza two questions. Video here. First, did Guterres explain to him why he skipped the UN Security Council's urgent meeting on Venezuela on January 26? Arreaza said that the Security Council has not even come up his in nearly one hour meet with Guterres, who he called very positive. Inner City Press also asked if Arreaza while in the U.S. would be visiting the Federal Reserve, where Venezuela's accounts have been turned over to Juan Guaido. No, he said, there are other ways of dealing with that than the minster of foreign affairs. When Inner City Press showed up at Guterres or rather the public's $15 million mansion on the corner of 57th Street there was a large black van in front. But later Arreaza came with flashing sirens. The UN Media Acccreditation and Liaison Unit did not even include this meeting in its Media Alert, but allowed in Telesur and a Japanese TV crew which asked Arreaza, Do you have any message for Japan? To this has Guterres sunk. So...


As Guterres Kills UN With Corruption and Cameroon Censorship #MerkelForUNSG Start At Least #DumpGuterres

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT CEFC Video

UNITED NATIONS GATE, February 16 – At this weekend's Munich Security Conference there has been much praise of Angela Merkel and her speech. And this, from the pool covering U.S. Vice President Mike Pence: "the VP/Merkel Bilat which began at 12:11 pm and ended that same minute.   VP and Merkel shook hands. She smiled. He smiled. They left without making remarks.   Pool is now being escorted to Commerzbank building across the street where we will hold for an undetermined amount of time." Inner City Press has gleaned, and launched online, this: #MerkelForUNSG and #DumpGuterres. Some in response have noted that neither the current US Administration, nor Russia, might favor Merkel. So that is, it seems, the argument for Guterres: that he is so weak, for example skipping altogether the January 26 "urgent' meeting of the UN Security Council on Venezuela in order to not anger either the US, or Russia and China, that he should keep the UNSG position by sheer apathy. And that is a reason that Guterres is killing the UN, including with his failure in Cameroon and elsewhere and his censorship, now at 227 days, of the Press which asks. In Guterres' UN there has been entirely unaddressed bribery, including offers of weapons for oil by UN non governmental organization China Energy Fund Committee of Ye Jianming which Guterres refuses to even audit - while roughing up and banning the Press which asks him about it.
February 11, 2019

In Corrupt UN of Guterres Hiring Scams in Office of South South Cooperation Travel Waste

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive CJR PFT

UNITED NATIONS GATE, February 5 – The extent of corruption in the UN system under Antonio Guterres, who while concealing his links with UN bribery CEFC China Energy has banned the Press which asks, find another example in the Office of South South Cooperation. Today Inner City Press looks with exclusive leaks from within Guterres' declining UN as far south as possible in the Americas, to Argentina. Despite the fact that President Macri campaigned on the promise to achieve “Zero Poverty," soup kitchen lines are getting longer as struggling Argentinians feel the brunt of the harsh austerity measures. But the country’s increased poverty rate is not stopping the Macri government from paying millions to host a conference by Jorge Chediek’s Office of South-South Cooperation. Mr. Chediek and his group continue to use the Office for selfish gain. In addition to his wasteful self-promoting travel, akin to Guterres', Mr. Chediek has engaged in a spree of quid pro quo activities to ingratiate himself with various parties, including questionable hiring. Mr. Chediek engaged the services of fellow Argentine Ms. Cecilia Milesi, to serve as Senior Peacebuilding consultant, despite the fact that she lacks prior substantive experience working in peace and development. And by multiple accounts, this lack of experience reflects in her work. Moreover, Ms. Milesi likely taking cue from her boss,herself engages in conduct violating UNDP policy, including dubious travel on UNDP's dime, making personal stops during official work travel and charged those costs to UNDP resources.    

Ms. Milesi also oversteps her role as a contractor providing service to UNDP, to manage and approve the recruitment of fellow Latin Americans, all of whom were waived from the UNDP competitive process and awarded direct contracts, to join Mr. Chediek’s inner circle. The hiring process was executed in a coordinated family business style, with Ms. Milesi giving pointers to her friends, with whom she had prior association who similarly lack the required experience for the job.

See one of the documents leaked to Inner City Press on Scribd, here

Documents reveal that Ms. Milesi and others interfered in the hiring process by manipulating resumes to match the job description in question in order to bypass any vetting. Moreover, Mr. Chediek blindly signed off on Ms. Milesi’s cronyistic recruitment after she independently completed the hiring process. As a contractor, Ms. Milesi violated UNDP policy prohibiting consultants from overseeing and approving recruitments, without the required oversight or participation of authorized personnel. Moreover, this speaks to the pattern of regional bias at the Office of South South Cooperation, in violation of UNDP’s policy on ensuring diversity in hiring.     

This begs the question: Has Mr. Chediek received a favor from Ms. Milesi’s brother Rodolfo Milesi who is the Executive Director of Branding Latin America, a London based PR firm, in return for hiring this woefully unqualified individual? Mr. Milesi’s company according to the website seeks to “to bridge business and promotional interests between Latin America, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world,” and boasts work with more than 10 presidents, and over 50 corporations among its prolific clientele. This is certainly an attractive partnership, one thatMr. Chediek is likely keen to capitalize on.     

Mr. Milesi has his own connections with the United Nations through his PR firm. Does Antonio Guterreshimself have a quid pro quo with Branding Latin America?According to his social media posts, Mr. Milesi’s Branding Latin America was the official PR firm for the Pacific Alliance during the lastest UN General Assembly week. Ms. Milesi also arranged during this visit of her brother, a friendly meet-and-greet gathering between her brother’s firm’s team and several colleagues from Mr. Chediek’s close circle in the office, which she proudly shared on her Facebook.     With just under two months to BAPA+40, does the Government of Mr. Macri think it prudent to invest millions into the historically corrupt Office of South-South Cooperation while the Argentine populace increasingly relies on charity for sustenance? 

  We'll have more on this.

February 4, 2019

UN Briber China Energy Fund Cttee Remains With ECOSOC Until At Least June As Guterres Covers Up

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT CEFC Video

UNITED NATIONS GATE, January 28 – While UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was refusing throughout 2018 to begin any UN audit into China Energy Fund Committee, implicated in the UN bribery prosecution US v Patrick Ho, Guterres had a secret: his role on the board of Gulbenkian Foundation which was trying to sell its Partex Oil affiliate to CEFC. See Inner City Press' first exclusive report here.

  While Guterres continues to ban from entry the Press which asked him about his CEFC links, in the UN Committee on Non Governmental Organizations on January 21 the US belatedly requested the suspension or dis-accreditation of CEFC from the UN. This is what Guterres has refused to act on for more than a year, while concealing his links to the group. CEFC was given until Friday, January 25 to answer on the issues. The acting chief of the UN NGO branch on Friday afternoon said it had not responded. Pakistan and Russia raised questions if this meant that as a matter of precedent it should have its status withdrawn. On January 28 following a written inquiry by Inner City Press a self-described diplomat on the NGO committee confirmed that "the NGO Committee recommended that ECOSOC consultative status be withdrawn for CEFC.  ECOSOC will decide whether to approve the NGO Committee’s recommendation at its June 2019 ECOSOC management meeting." So they're still in. Guterres' cover up of his link to the group remains unaddressed - with no answers from his spokesmen Stephane Dujarric and for this entire week, Farhan Haq. We'll have more on this.

January 28, 2019

On South Sudan Guterres and Farhan Haq Cover Up UN Murder Sex Abuse Customs Fraud Gender Studies Link

By Matthew Russell Lee, EXCLUSIVE, video

UNITED NATIONS GATE, January 25 -- The UN of Secretary General Antonio Guterres has refused to answer Press questions about a new case of UN sexual exploitation by an international staff members -- nationality undisclosed - in South Sudan and now Inner City Press which asked knows why. The accused staff member is from Nigeria, the country of Guterres' Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohammed, where in another undisclosed trip she is doing political work for President Buhari right now. Their deputy spokesman Farhan Haq has refused to even acknowledge the written questions of Inner City Press, banned by Guterres and Mohammed for 205 days and counting, see below. On January 25 Inner City Press asked Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq questions including: "January 25-2: On South Sudan and the questions you have refused to answer, immediately confirm or deny that (1) the nationality of the "international" charged with sexual exploitation is Nigerian; separately (2) that the individual's name is Mr. Olayinka Adeyemi, (3) that he work(ed) for the  "Code of Conduct" Unit. Please respond to UNMISS sources saying the nationality was withheld, unlike in other cases, because he and the DSG are from Nigeria.  January 25-3: On the killing of two civilians by the UN in South Sudan, on which you have refused to answer Inner City Press' question despite Spox Dujarric on camera statement that questions would be answered, please immediately confirm that it took place at Durupi camp as they were doing UN contracted work on the fence, and state what accountability there has been, and the nationality - and separately name(s) - of the shooter(s).  January 25-4: On UN corruption and South Sudan, please immediate respond to what whistleblowers have told Inner City Press, that bringing everything in this country. Whiskey and Cigarette under SOFA agreement,” the Customs Service revealed. UNMISS General Ayii said has a sub-contractor called "Tri-Star" Company, an Indian company which has been dealing in these goods. However, he said the government would soon review the tax exemption policy regarding UN agencies in South Sudan. This comes after the institution found out that it has been losing billions of pounds to some goods imported by the UN agencies and humanitarian groups.  “I have been in Nimule as chief customs officer for 8 years, so I know any secret of any NGO in this country,” he said. He questioned the purpose for which these items are brought given the frequency of their importation into the country “How come the UNMISS brings 200 JET A1 in every month, or even Solar panels and fuel, 200 and 300 every month.”   UNMISS gave for some companies to bring items in the name of UN and nobody knows the whereabout of the items. There are stores giving the service in the UNMISS but did not go proper bidding . They are importing tax free items for the stuff but they are selling expensive more than the outside stores." No answers - Guterres and now Haq are covering up sexual exploitation, and the killing of civilians. Inner City Press has this, exclusively, from its sources in South Sudan: Mr. Olayinka Adeyemi, an international UN staff member working ironically for the "Code of Conduct" Unit has been accused of  Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and sent home to Nigeria, where DSG Amina Mohammed is righ now, until the investigation or cover up is completed. The case was being tried to be covered up since the chief of staff is from Nigeria, UNMISS staff tell Inner City Press. This unit was  established to follow up all conduct issues but surprisely, or not under thehypocritical administration of Guterres, its own staff stands accused. The Unit was working to terrorize and intimidate genuine staff member and strongly protecting managers who were found guilty. Also, the top official at the Customs Service has accused the UN mission in South Sudan  of abusing the status of forces agreement or SOFA. The SOFA was signed a month later after the independence in 2011, between the government and the UNMISS. “Since 2007, these guys are bringing everything in this country. Whiskey and Cigarette under SOFA agreement,” the Customs Service revealed. UNMISS General Ayii said has a sub-contractor called "Tri-Star" Company, an Indian company which has been dealing in these goods. However, he said the government would soon review the tax exemption policy regarding UN agencies in South Sudan. This comes after the institution found out that it has been losing billions of pounds to some goods imported by the UN agencies and humanitarian groups.  “I have been in Nimule as chief customs officer for 8 years, so I know any secret of any NGO in this country,” he said. He questioned the purpose for which these items are brought given the frequency of their importation into the country “How come the UNMISS brings 200 JET A1 in every month, or even Solar panels and fuel, 200 and 300 every month.”   UNMISS gave for some companies to bring items in the name of UN and nobody knows the whereabout of the items. There are stores giving the service in the UNMISS but did not go proper bidding . They are importing tax free items for the stuff but they are selling expensive more than the outside stores.    In another case Guterres, Mohammed, Haq and lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric have refused to answer on, sources tell Inner City PRess that the two South Sudanese nationals   were killed wrongly  while performing their duties in Durupi camp as contractors. The two gentlemen were contracted to maintain the fences and were shot and killed by UN peacekeeping - with no accountability, or even answer from Guterres and his spokesmen, who together have had Inner City Press banned from the noon briefing for 204 days while they get no questions about anything in Africa, totally corrupt. They have refused to confirm or comment on this email to DSS Peter Drennan, who Alison Smale says is responsible for Inner City Press' no due process ban for having been roughed up by Drennan's Lt Ronald E. Dobbins: "Yesterday, a circular was sent to all UNMISS security officers in South Sudan  not to communicate to UNDSS in New York. During the open meeting called by UNDSS Officials from New York   or Secretary General  on VTC, Security staff members are discouraged and blacklisted for airing their views. Is this organization  exemplary for   democracy or transparency? Security officers are not copying their messages to  their managers or supervisors   because they are dictators and abusers and incompetent to answer the questions properly.  'Dear Colleagues, It has been noted that security officers continue to  communicate directly with DSS HQ on policies and other official issues in spite of the fact that you have been advised not to do so. Worst  of all, these correspondences are done without  copying the PSA  or security management in Juba.  This is against best practices and should  be stopped.  Once again please be reminded to direct all your concerns regarding security policies and other official issues to  security management in Juba. Where it is deemed that UNDSS HQ’s input is required,  management in Juba will do so.  Kind regards     Thomas Acheampong.'" We've asked: On South Sudan and DSS, immediately confirm USG Drennan's receipt of, and response to, the complain from UNMISS staff they have been silenced and told to not speak up about their complaints, sent to Inner City Press, Drennan and Bill Miller and Wind-Andersen, Andriamampianina, Mitrokhin and Payumo at UN in the past 24 hours." Nothing at all - except another ban and camera grab by UN security on January 23. No answers at all from Drennan. We'll have more on this.  Guterres says he has a "zero tolerance" policy for sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment, and for retaliation. But when Inner City Press asked Guterres' deputy spokesman and now cover-up man Farhan Haq on 15 March 2018 about Michel Sidibé's reported threats of retaliatory investigations against those making and offering support to sexual harassment complaints at UNAIDS, Haq said this is entire a matter for UNAIDS. Earlier Inner City Press story here; exclusive publication of whistleblowers' international condemnation of retaliation and favoritism in Sidibe's UNAIDS, below. Now Haq, left in charge while Guterres and his lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric are pontificating in Davos, is refusing to provide basic, historically disclosed information about UN sexual exploitation and abuse cases - this despite Haq's road to his gatekeeper position running either through the defunct newspaper the City Sun, or being the son of UNDP economist Mahbub ul Haq. In either case, this is a new low, withholding information about a UN "international" engaging in sexual exploitation in so often mistreated South Sudan - all the more so give Haq's online connections to women's studies in the Garden State: Ethel Brooks is a professor in Rutger's Department of Women's and Gender Studies - what about covering up rapes in South Sudan? - with an interest in "Visual cultures, Artistic practice, Representation, Productivity, Camps and Encampment, Digital media and Belonging; Critical Political Economy, Transnational Networks, Social Movements, Feminist Theory, Comparative and Historical Methods, Economic Sociology, Political Sociology; Romani Studies, Central American Studies, South Asian studies, Nationalism, Post-colonialism and Critical race theory." And yet covering up rapes in South Sudan? Here's how low: on January 22, Haq promoted for-profit Amazon Prime, video here: "just to flag that tonight the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Amazon Studios will be hosting a film screening of Beautiful Boy.  That will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 23 January, in other words, tomorrow night, in the Trusteeship Council Chamber.  Actor Timothée Chalamet, author David Sheff, and producers Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner will take part in a Q&A following the screening of the film.  Beautiful Boy is based on the best‑selling memoirs from David and Nic Sheff and chronicles the experience of survival, relapse and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.  The film is available on Amazon Prime Video." That was inappropriate promotion of a for profit service. But it's worse: when Inner City Press which was invited by Amazon went, it was barred and its camera grabbed, hereJanuary 21, 2019

UN Guterres Mistakes Sudan For DRC Says No Probe of Khashoggi But Advising Cameroon Biya

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT CEFC Video

UNITED NATIONS GATE, January 18 – When UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres held a rare press conference in UN Headquarters on January 18, he mistook Sudan where the genocide indictee he has twice met with is using live fire on protesters for DR Congo, where after the UN spent $20 billion Guterres won't even follow the African Union in saying Kabila's results are dubious. Guterres who had refused to answer why he omitted his paid board position with Gulbenkian Foundation from his financial disclosure covering 2016, and why he has refused to audit the continued UN presence of UN briber CEFC China Energy which tried to buy Partex Oil from Guterres' Gulbenkian, did not face a single question about corruption, nor sexual harassment, nor his anti human rights comments on Somalia the day before. Why not? Because Guterres and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric, and Global Communicator Alison Smale, had critical Inner City Press which asks about these things roughed up on 3 July 2018 and banned from even entering the UN since, 197 days and counting. Call it censorship for corruption.   

  Inner City Press live tweeted the dismal press conference, in which a former UN official got Guterres to praise China's Belt and Road, here. Guterres insisted he cannot call for an investigation of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi; he praised Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina who had her opponents beaten and turned off the Internet. In a surprising aside, Guterres said he has spoken six times with Cameroon's 36 year ruler Paul Biya, as the latter has ramped up his killing of Anglophones. Was Guterres advising him, on how to get better press as the government's memo of meeting with Guterres says? We'll have more on this. How lawless is the United Nations of Secretary General Antonio Guterres? In the midst of Inner City Press' questioning in 2018 about Guterres' links to now convicted UN bribery Patrick Ho's China Energy Fund Committee and Guterres' failures on Cameroon and elsewhere, his UN Security twice roughed up Inner City Press on June 22 and July 3, 2018.

Then after Inner City Press filed a New York Police Department complaint against the UN and its Lieutenant Ronald E. Dobbins, Inner City Press as banned from entering the UN in retaliation.

After a UN "review" that did not include any opportunity to be heard for Inner City Press, Guterres' Under Secretary General Alison Smale on 17 August 2018 issued a letter "withdrawing" Inner City Press' UN media accreditation. Smale was asked how Inner City Press could appeal, including by UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression David Kaye, but did not answer that.

January 14, 2019

As UN Guterres Fails With Somalia and Guatemala Like Cameroon His Supporters Blame P3

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR Letter PFT Q&A, NY Post

UNITED NATIONS GATE, January 9 – With UN Secretary General obviously failing, from Somalia to Guatemala to Cameroon which he covered up by censorship, the pro-UN industial complex is casting around for someone, anyone to blame but Guterres and themselves. A current argument, propped up by former Guterres official Jeffrey Feltman who signed off on Bernardino Leon's sell out of the UN to the UAE, is that Guterres is forced to be weak because the P3 (France, UK and US) won't back him up. But could it be Guterres' fault? These analysts, including Human Rights Watch, have said nothing about Guterres' links to briber China Energy Fund Committee, much less his roughing up and banning of the Press which asked. They didn't cover Guterres' ghoulish order to staff not to ask him any questions or even take selfies when he used their work space for his photo op. Is it any wonder Jimmy Morales and many in Somalia laugh at Guterres? Are those close to Guterres, profiting from insider status, not part of the problem that is killing the UN? Who is killing the UN? His name is Guterres. And he has many accomplices, including those producing what are, in essence, defenses of Guterres but which his spokesman are the type of hard hitting coverage that proves he is not a censor for twice banning the critical Press. For weeks the UN of Guterres had refused to answer Press questions about Somalia. Now after Guterres' SRSG representative Nicholas Haysom was ordered to cease operations in, and presumably leave, Somalia, Guterres on January 4 has said the country CANNOT declare Haysom Persona Non Grata, since the UN "is not a state." Why then can Guterres rough up and ban a journalist and claim immunity? And Inner City Press, which Guterres had roughed up on 3 July 2018 and banned since, had before that asked Guterres' Spokesman Stephane Dujarric about a PNG-ing of UN staff by Burundi and Dujarric said, "I don’t know what the status of the staff member who was 'PNG-ed.' We can check." Video here. But it's worse. When the UN tried to send an SRSG to Iraq and the government objected, the decision was reversed. But never, UN staff tell Inner City Press, has a UN Secretary General given in as quickly as Guterres has to Somalia. They tell Inner City Press exclusively that Guterres was hung up on on the phone. And that the UN Political Affairs operation under Rosemary DiCarlo was not even in the loop on the absurd statement read out by Farhan Haq at at noon. "She's nothing," a long time DPA official told Inner City Press. "If Washington every looks closely she'll be fired." If it happens, it should be for the scandal of the handover of the Department's website to the photographer husband of her chief of staff, unacted on by the titular head of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services who has disappeared and is said by her own staff to be... well, that will have to wait. Watch this site. Sierra Leone PNG-ed Michael von der Schulenburg, of whom Inner City Press also asked before being roughed up and banned under Guterres - who claims immunity for all of this. We'll have more on this. Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Guterres will nevertheless replace Haysom "in due course."

January 7, 2019

UN Guterres Had Press Roughed Up and Accreditation Withdrawn Now Basis For New Denial

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT CEFC Video

UNITED NATIONS GATE, January 2 – How lawless is the United Nations of Secretary General Antonio Guterres? In the midst of Inner City Press' questioning in 2018 about Guterres' links to now convicted UN bribery Patrick Ho's China Energy Fund Committee and Guterres' failures on Cameroon and elsewhere, his UN Security twice roughed up Inner City Press on June 22 and July 3, 2018.

Then after Inner City Press filed a New York Police Department complaint against the UN and its Lieutenant Ronald E. Dobbins, Inner City Press as banned from entering the UN in retaliation.

After a UN "review" that did not include any opportunity to be heard for Inner City Press, Guterres' Under Secretary General Alison Smale on 17 August 2018 issued a letter "withdrawing" Inner City Press' UN media accreditation. Smale was asked how Inner City Press could appeal, including by UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression David Kaye, but did not answer that.

On 3 September 2018, facing the prospect of being unable to enter the UN to cover the General Assembly "high level" week for the first time in a decade, Inner City Press submitted an application for accreditation. But there was no action on it - in fact, during high level week, it emerged that Inner City Press had been put on a non-public "barred" list such that even if invited by a member state or UN agency, it could not enter the building.

Patrick Ho of CEFC was convicted on 5 December 2018. Inner City Press again exclusively reported that Guterres had failed to include his paid position on the board of the Gulbenkian Foundation in his Public Financial Disclosure covering 2016 - and that Gulbenkian in 2018 was trying to sell its Partex Oil and Gas affiliate to CEFC as Guterres refused to audit CEFC and had Inner City Press which asked roughed up and banned.

And now on 2 January 2019 Smale's Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit has issued a denial of Inner City Press' September application for accreditation, stating only that

"Greetings Matthew LEE from ICP     INNER CITY PRESS, 

Your media accreditation request, with reference no: M72295425, has been declined for the following reason: Accreditation was withdrawn on 17 August 2018."

  This is Kafka-esque. Accreditation was withdrawn without any hearing or chance to appeal, but that decision is used to deny future accreditation. While preaching about due process and freedom of the press, Guterres' UN has a "one strike and your out" policy - even if there is no strike. The alleged violations were filming in place Smale's own MALU staff told Inner City Press it could film with out an escort, and recording her deputy in a known media stakeout position.

   Guterres is a censor, to conceal his own conflict of interest. He has failed many people, including the Anglophones being killed by the Cameroon government of Paul Biya, from whom Guterres accepted a golden statue and Budget Committee favors. This is corruption and the reporting on and exposing of it will not cease. No due process censorship by the UN is UNacceptable.

While Guterres was refusing throughout 2018 to begin any UN audit into China Energy Fund Committee, implicated in the UN bribery prosecution US v Patrick Ho, Guterres had a secret: his role on the board of Gulbenkian Foundation which was trying to sell its Partex Oil affiliate to CEFC. See Inner City Press' first exclusive report here.

  Today Inner City Press continues its exclusive series on some of the CEFC connections in and through the UN that should have been identified in the audit that Guterres corruptly refused to begin, with his conflict of interest. (Even his predecessor Ban Ki-moon ordered an audit after Ng Lap Seng was indicted - Guterres still hasn't after Patrick Ho was convicted.)

   It's time to consider the Guterres-like hypocrisy of Gulbenkian, publicly tying itself to the "blue ocean economy" while taking money from the oil company Partex they tried to sell to CEFC which Guterres has covered up for. Antonio Guterres was a paid board member of Gulbenkian; his wife Catarina Vaz Pinto was paid by them as well. Antonio Guterres' daughter Mariana Guterres actively promotes Gulbenkian (as well as, troublingly, dead children in Kenya); his daughter in law Vanda Onnesjo Lobo gushes about its causes.

  In fact, Gulbenkian which tried to sell its Partex Oil to CEFC in 2018 partners with "Oceano Azul Foundation" - which just happens to have in 2018 hired Antonio Guterres' daughter in law Vanda Lobo, see here. Given Gunbenkian's business dealings with UN briber CEFC, shouldn't this all have been disclosed? Isn't it an abuse that Antonio Guterres would have the only media asking about it roughed up and banned? This is UN corruption.

(His son Pedro Guimarães e Melo De Oliveira Guterres, after being a part of the defrauding of PT Portugal as it was passed from Brazil's Oi to France's Altice, seems to have gone to ground, with not a single legitimate question about his business links answered).  But now in 2018 - and according to Guterres' publicly funded propaganda, 2019 - it is all a front. Guterres has shown himself willing to rough up a journalist who asked about this and more, banning the Press for 182 days with no end in sight.

  Consider Guterres' lead spokesman Stephane Dujarric has family links to Gulbenkian. Inner City Press asked Dujarric in writing to disclose these (no answer, and Stephane Dujarric blocks @InnerCityPress on Twitter), just as it asked him in person why CEFC wasn't being audited in March 2018, before Dujarric and Guterres had Inner City Press roughed up and banned, 180 days now. In March 2018 Gulbenkian Foundation was actively trying to sell its Partex Oil and Gas affiliate to CEFC China Energy. And here's Stephane Dujarric's Tokyo- and Temple-based brother Robert Dujarric praising and appearing at Gulbenkian - audio here, program here. We'll have more on this.

December 31, 2018

UN Guterres Stonewalls on His Links to China Energy Fund Committee UN Staffers Met Ye Jianming

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT CEFC Video

UNITED NATIONS, December 28 – While UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was refusing throughout 2018 to begin any UN audit into China Energy Fund Committee, implicated in the UN bribery prosecution US v Patrick Ho, Guterres had a secret: his role on the board of Gulbenkian Foundation which was trying to sell its Partex Oil affiliate to CEFC. See Inner City Press' first exclusive report here.

  Today Inner City Press continues its exclusive series on some of the CEFC connections in and through the UN that should have been identified in the audit that Guterres corruptly refused to begin, with his conflict of interest. (Even his predecessor Ban Ki-moon ordered an audit after Ng Lap Seng was indicted - Guterres still hasn't after Patrick Ho was convicted.)

  One of the people identified in the Ban Ki-moon audit of Ng Lap Seng and South South News was Ion Botnaru. He was allowed to retire, after changing a UN General Assembly document along with then President of the General Assembly John Ashe, who died under indictment ostensibly crushed by his own barbell, to benefit Ng's Sun Kian Ip group. Botnaru reappears again with CEFC, here. And, crying out for audit, the President of the General Assembly who swore in Guterres, Peter Thomson of Fiji, traveled like Ashe and Vuk Jeremic and Sam Kutesa to meet CEFC's Ye Jianming in Hong Kong.

  Inner City Press has asked Guterres and his spokespeople, among many other questions, "Beyond the 37 questions from Inner City Press you refused to answer last week, still set forth below for promised answer, this is a request, given that Peter Thomson is the SG's rep on Oceans that you describe in detail Thomson's 2017 meeting with now disappeared Ye Jianming of CEFC, name which UN DSS officials were with him and what reports they filed, what their duties were; what was seen by those accompanying Thomson, at least two of whom are still in the UN (one is with China)."

  Typically, Guterres and his spokespeople did not answer. So here, pending listing those from UN Department of Safety and Security the group which roughs up the Press without accountability and maintains a retaliatory "lifetime" banned from the UN list, are the names: "During his two-day visit, the President of the UN General Assembly was accompanied by his senior advisors Abdelghani Merabet, and Zhang Yi, as well as by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs’s Director of the Division for Sustainable Development, Zhu Juwang." Now, Thomson staffer or embed Zhang Yi has gone (back, or more openly) to working for the Chinese government: "On August 14 [2018], Deputy Director-General of China International Center for Economic and Technical Exchanges Zhang Yi was invited to attend the FOCAC - Africa-China Poverty Reduction and Development Conference, an important sub-forum under the FOCAC hosted by the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development and co-organized by the International Poverty Reduction Center in China and the China Belt and Road Institute for Agricultural Cooperation of China Agriculture University. Attending were more than 300 participants including government officials, international organizations’ representatives, non-governmental organizations’ officials, business leaders, experts and scholars from China, United States, Japan, Denmark and 40 African countries like Angola, Botswana and Mauritius."

  What did they see during Thomson's meeting with now-known briber Ye Jianming? Zhu Juwang  is still with UN DESA; Abdelghani Merabet  is with the current PGA. We'll have more on this: the UN should be answering these questions, now.

  In 2017, the year in which CEFC's Patrick Ho was indicted and arrested for UN bribery, CEFC in the UN engaged at least twice with Lenni Montiel, including for example on 6 July 2017, and also with DESA official Pingfan Hong. Some photos here. Inner City Press before Guterres had it roughed up and banned now 176 days for its inquiries into Guterres' corruption has politely questioned both Montiel and Hong - but Guterres has made that impossible and his Spokesmen refused to answer any written questions, for more than a week now. There are more connections.

  Guterres got favors from Peter Thomson when Thomson was President of the General Assembly. Rudimentary open source research - including on the UN's own website here - finds that Thomson, like implicated Sam Kutesa and John Ashe and Vuk Jeremic, visited CEFC's Ye Jianming in Hong Kong. What was discussed? Inner City Press previously covered, critically but civilly, Thomson. Now corrupt Guterres has had Inner City Press roughed up and banned 175 days, with his Spokesman Stephane Dujarric refusing to answer any questions despite the promise of Guterres' USG Alison Smale.

   After receiving favors from Thomson as PGA, Guterres gave him a job in his Secretariat, Representative on Oceans. Here is Patrick Ho, interviewed by Guterres' DESA, on Oceans. There should have been an audit. There still should be. Another of Guterres' special advisers, Jeffrey Sachs, after denying Inner City Press' documented report Sachs was on a UN - CEFC board, abruptly closed his Twitter account, story here. Guterres goes on robo-tweeting from parts unknown, spending public money undisclosed. Guterres should explain and / or resign.  We will have more in this series.

December 24, 2018

UN Guterres Refused to Audit China Energy Fund Committee While Covering Up His Links to Partex Oil For Sale to CEFC

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT CEFC Video

UNITED NATIONS, December 22 – While UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres was refusing throughout 2018 to begin any UN audit into China Energy Fund Committee, implicated in the UN bribery prosecution US v Patrick Ho, Guterres had a secret.

   Guterres was and it seems still is connected with and compensated by a company which was trying to sell its oil and gas business to China Energy Fund Committee in 2018. Guterres' failure to disclose and refusal to audit was a direct conflict of interest, which he has tried to cover up by roughing up and banning Inner City Press which asked him about it. (See January 2018 press conference here, July 2018 roughing up by Guterres' UN Security here, banning letter via Press Freedom Tracker here.)

   For years Guterres received money as a board member of the Calouste Galbenkian Foundation, which despite its name is the 100% owner of Partex Oil and Gas. Partex has operations in Angola, Abu Dhabi, Brazil, Kazakhstan, the Netherlands, Oman and Portugal. It was to a Portuguese court that Guterres, while justifying no listing some of his income, disclosed in 2016 that he was paid at least € 2735 per month for his position with the Gulbenkian Foundation.

   But while a now deleted Foundation web page (archived here) stated that Guterres continued with Gulbenkian into 2018, Guterres did not list it on his most recent, and so far lone, UN Public Financial Disclosure, which covered 2016 ("Disclosing financial and other interests for the 2016 reporting year").

  So why did Guterres disclose his position with the Club of Madrid, but not with the Gulbenkian Foundation / Partex Oil and Gas? It is worth noting that Guterres' wife Catarina Vaz Pinto has also been connected to Gulbenkian.

   Following the roughing up and banning from the UN of Inner City Press which has covered the CEFC scandal throughout, Guterres' head of Global Communications Alison Smale promised UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression David Kaye, who asked, that the UN would still answer Inner City Press' written questions.

   But as 2018 came to a close Guterres' spokesmen Stephane Dujarric and Farhan Haq left unanswered 36 questions in a row from Inner City Press, including this: “Beyond the 35 questions from Inner City Press you refused to answer this week, this is a request on deadline that you (1) state when SG Guterres left his position on the Gulbenkian Foundation,

(2) state why Gulbenkian was not listed on SG Guterres' public financial disclosure which covered 2016;

(3) explain how it is not a conflict of interest for SG Guterres to have refused to start an audit of CEFC in the UN, as requested by Inner City Press in January 2018, given CEFC's bid for the oil business of Gulbenkian.

Also, again, state why under SG Guterres there have been no updates to the UN public financial disclosures since those filed for 2016. Also, again, explain your refusal to answer any of Inner City Press' questions this week despite USG Smale's statements to GAP, me and UNSR David Kaye. On deadline.”

   The question was also sent to the e-mail addresses of Guterres, his chief of staff Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, his Deputy Amina J. Mohammed, and Smale, who earlier in the week told Inner City Press she would take “under advisement” her 17 August 2018 pretextual withdrawal of Inner City Press decade long UN media accreditation.
  It seems clear that Guterres and his team have engaged in censorship for corruption, to conceal a blatant conflict of interest by Guterres. It has been raised by Inner City Press to the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services, and others.  Watch this site.December 17, 2018


On Cameroon UN Guterres Envoy Fall Claimed Biya Gender Desks But After Fact Check No Answer

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR Goot PFT NYP

UNITED NATIONS GATE, December 14 -- After Paul Biya who has ruled Cameroon for 36 years lied that Transparency International was observing his re-coronation, and burned village after village in the Anglophone regions while hiring lobbyists to seek and get support from UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, on October 22 he claimed to win over 71% of the vote and even that 16% of those eligible voted in the Anglophone North-West and South-West regions. None of this is credible. Nor is the new report by Guterres' failed envoy Francois Lounceny Fall, nor Fall's presentation to the Council, entry to cover which Guterres is corruptly barring Inner City Press on December 13, for the 162nd day. After Fall's pitch, and dubious claims of concern from countries which are withholding all documents about Cameroon which Inner City Press has requested from them under Freedom of Information laws like the Dutch WOB, on December 13 and 14 Inner City Press asked the UN: "December 14-6: On Cameroon, on which you have been refusing Inner City Press' questions, now that Francois Fall has said he visited in November and met Government officials, state with whom else he met. He describes “Gender Desks” in police stations but an Inner City Press reader today called the Kumba police station and they'd never heard of it. What is the basis of Mr. Fall's statement?" Hours after the December 14 UN noon briefing at which those allowed in asked not a single question about anything in Africa, much less Cameroon, Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq sent this: "Regarding question December 14-6, we have provided Mr. Fall’s briefing to the Security Council, in which he details his concerns about Cameroon and his work there." And the Gender Desks? Here is a paragraph of Fall's and Guterres' report: "5. The security situation in the North-West and South-West regions of Cameroon
continued to deteriorate. Sporadic fighting between security forces and armed groups
was reported throughout the reporting period. On 12 July, the convoy of the Minister
for Defence was attacked on two separate occasions near Kumba in the South-West
region. On the night of 28 to 29 July, an armed group attacked a prison in Ndop in the
North-West region, resulting in the escape of 163 inmates. On 26 September, armed
individuals also attacked a prison in Wum in the North-West region, leading to the
escape of 80 inmates. On 5 November, nearly 80 students and staff from a secondary
school in Bamenda, in the North-West region, were kidnapped. All of the students
were released the following day. During the reporting period, there were reports of
sexual violence perpetrated by both security forces and armed groups. In response,
“gender desks” were established at police stations in the South-West region in an
effort to establish a safe and confidential reporting process on sexual and genderbased
violence and related crimes. On 11 October, religious leaders of the Catholic,
Protestant and Muslim communities in the English-speaking regions held a meeting
in preparation for an “Anglophone General Conference” scheduled to be held in Buea,
in the South-West region, on 21 and 22 November, but which was later postponed. At
the same meeting, they reiterated their appeal for the cessation of military and
insurgent operations in the English-speaking regions." And Antonio Guterres... took Biya's golden statue, made a Budget Committee deal to stay quiet on the slaughter, and had roughed up and banned for 161 days and counting the Press which asked him about it. December 10, 2018

UN Bribery Guilty Verdict Against Ho of China Energy Fund Committee Shows Need For Reform and Oversight of SG

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR PFT CEFC Video

UNITED NATIONS, December 8 – What will any new Ambassador to the UN, whether Heather Nauert or anyone else, find  that needs to be addressed? Most recently, in two words, rampant and unrelenting bribery, including offers of weapons for oil by UN non governmental organizations which UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres refuses to even audit - while roughing up and banning the Press which asks him about it.

Three years ago Macau based businessman Ng Lap Seng was arrested and charged with bribing UN General Assembly President Josh Ashe and others, though Sun Kian Ip Foundation and other groups still in the UN. Ng was convicted of multiple violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and money laundering. But the issue of faux NGO purchase of the UN hasn't gone away. In fact, a second UN bribery case ended this week in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York with seven guilty verdicts.

In this second case, Patrick Ho was found guilty of seven of eight counts of FCPA and month laundering. (He was only not guilty on money laundering in Chad - where the bribe was not through any US bank but in cash, $2 million in a gift box). The evidence showed that the NGO he ran, China Energy Fund Committee, used its ongoing UN consultative status to pay bribes to Ugandan foreign minister - and Ashe's successor as President of the UN General Assembly -- Sam Kutesa. He was working with precedessor Vuk Jeremic while Jeremic was UN PGA. CEFC even offered weapons, tanks and drones, to Chad's long time president Idriss Deby for oil blocks or a stake in the Chad Cameroon pipeline. (Inner City Press published documents here.)

The night of the verdict I asked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres what he will do to clean up the UN, where he has left CEFC without any audit, still in consultative status with the UN. On his way from his Mercedes to a glitzy fundraiser including George and Amal Clooney, Guterres refused to answer. The next day when asked by another journalist why Guterres had refused to answer banned Inner City Press' question, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric claimed that the UN has “cooperated” with the prosecution. But the bribery group remains in the UN, unaudited.

Why has the case of US versus Ho, and now the guilty verdicts, garnered relatively so little interest, with the corruption of the UN exposed by it scarcely mentioned all? SG Guterres is hoping it goes away. In terms of corruption, he did not disclose and refuses to answer on the African business links of his son Pedro Guimarães e Melo De Oliveira Guterres. He refuses to answer how much he spends in public funds flying to his home in Lisbon at least sixteen times sofar as SG.

   So CEFC remains an accredited non governmental organization with the UN's Economic and Social Council, while investigative Inner City Press for which I have been covering the case has been dis-accredited by and ousted from the UN, put on a list of those permanently banned without notice, due process or appeal. On December 7 I was informed I am banned from a “UN Human Rights” event on December 10 to be addressed by Guterres and his human rights commissioner Michelle Bachelet. But this reporting will not stop - Guterres' corruption of the UN must be addressed, through oversight or as is discussed elsewhere, impeachment. From the lofty goals of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to Guterres' censorship for corruption is UNacceptable.

  With UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and her Deputy Andrew Gilmour set to speak in the UN on human rights day on December 10, Inner City Press responded to an invitation and was told, "Thank you for registering to attend the Human Rights Day event at the United Nations on Monday 10 December. On Monday, please come to the UN Visitors’ Gate on First Avenue opposite 45th street starting at 2pm, at which time entry passes will be distributed."

Then, past six p.m. on Friday, December 7 this from Bachelet's and Gilmour's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights: "Dear Matthew, We have received notification from UN Security that your name was flagged as "BARRED" on the list we submitted for passes for Monday's event (3pm, ECOSOC Chamber). We will therefore not have a pass for you and are unable to facilitate entry.
Thank you for your interest and best regards,
OHCHR New York Office." Photo of email here.

   Inner City Press immediately wrote back, to the sender and Bachelet and her assistant, to Andrew Gilmour and to the moderator of the event, "Particularly since you are the UN Office of the High Commissioner for *Human Rights,* did you not ask why a journalist who asks the Secretary General and his spokesmen about the killings in Cameroon, Burundi, UN corruption, UN peacekeepers' sexual abuse of civilians, and Sri Lanka, is “BARRED” from attending your human rights event - without any hearing or appeal? I will appreciate your Office's answer to this."  We'll have more on this.

 Bachelet gave a speech on October 15 in the UN's Third Committee, she emphasized a prioritization of social and economic rights and said one of the officials of her office is "on mission in Silicon Valley" in the US. There are questions about this - but Inner City Press which has covered human rights and the UN for more than a decade was for the first time banned from access a High Commissioner's speech. This has been raised repeated to Bachelet since she took office but she has so far done nothing, not even responded. Meanwhile on October 12 Cameroon, from whose Paul Biya Secretary General Antonio Guterres took a golden statue and favors in the Fifth (Budget) Committee and remains silent on the slaughter of Anglophones, was elected to a seat on the UN Human Rights Council. This system is failing - but if Bachelet cannot even answer on Guterres maintaining a secret banned list including not only Inner City Press but also "political activists" - and anti-corruption campaigners - then the UN of Guterres has hit its newest low. December 3, 2018

In UN Bribery Case Ho Plotted Bribing PGA Ashe with Yan and Repeatedly Entered UN Covered Up by Guterres

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video I II III RS HK

FEDERAL COURTHOUSE, November 30 – In the UN bribery prosecution by the US against Patrick Ho of China Energy Fund Committee, on the morning of November 30 the prosecution  detailed how CEFC bought UN PGA Sam Kutesa - and played an audio wiretap of Ho discussing bribing UN PGA John Ash with Sheri Yan, who did jail time in the first UN bribery case of Ng Lap Seng. As to Uganda, CEFC instead of $500,00 case did a wire transfer - it was cheaper, through pliant HSBC bank which also money launders for Mexican drug cartels - and there was Ho, in purple like today, as Museveni's inauguration. He brought gift with him - a vase, painting, what locked to be a clock - to a dinner at Kutesa's residence. Then the prosecution flashed a list of the times Ho entered the UN - the UN has that information, you see, though they refused to provide it when Inner City Press asked, as to Francis Lorenzo, Ho and Carlos Garcia, preferring to ban Inner City Press. The prosecution left for Monday showing the agreement under which CEFC and its missing Chairman Ye bought unit 78B in Trump World Tower. After a wan cross examination by Ho's lawyer Benjamin Rosenberg (Judge Preska essentially shut him down), the jury was told they may get the case as early as Wednesday, when Antonio Guterres like his predecessor wil be put up for sale at Cipriani on 42nd Street. Th week, along with the depths of UN corruption, revealed how in China the formal government has a murky relationship with quasi state firms like CEFC, which on the one hand paved Xi's way into the Czech Republic and on the other, tried to get Chad's Deby to "make" Chinese stat oil company CNPC to get it a piece of the action, perhaps for the Defense Committee of the Chinese Communisty Party, presumably the sources of the weapons and drones CEFC was offering to Deby and others in Libya and South Sudan. This is the NGO that Antonio Guterres has refused to audit and keeps in the UN while roughing up and banning Inner City Press. Kutesa's sale of the UN began through previous PGA Vuk Jeremic, who told Kutesa it would be "win - win" with CEFC. Then Ho emailed Kutesa's chief of staff Arthur Kafeero, whom Inner City Press wrote about before being banned from even entering the UN by UNSG Antonio Guterres. Later Ho did his emailing with Sam's wife Edith Gasana Kutesa, who asked for money to supposedly make good on an electoral campaign pledge help Kutesa's young constituents (although she also bragging that Kutesa had no opposing candidate). She wrote, Youth are impatient - so send me the money! Ho arranged for $500,000 while pitching Edith on all the things (and people) CEFC had bought in Czech Republic. As Inner City Press reported and asked about before being roughed up and banned by UNSG Antonio Guterres, the Czech Ambassador headed ECOSOC, which refused to even look into CEFC's accreditation after Ho's arrest. CEFC used the UN to pitch weapons to dictators. And Guterres is covering up for them. Ho met Kutesa and his son Isaac for three hours in the PGA office - the type of entry Guterres is trying to prevent coverage of - and as his "PGA residence." Ho would email Kafeera and be scheduled as  speaker at the UN, which under Guterres took CEFC's $1 million even AFTER Ho was arrested. The UN of Guterres is corrupt. Periscope video here. Also on November 30, finishing up on the Chad scheme with FBI Agent Galicia, a CEFC web page with Bill Clinton was shown. We'll have more on this. On November 29, Senegal's former Foreign Minister Cheikh Gadio admitted he took $20,000 from an unnamed courier from a businessman he did not want to identify. Then Gadio pushed a journalist in the street and told Inner City Press he would answer its questions later. Video here (YouTube), shorter (Twitter). But if that seemed to give home to Ho, the upcoming Uganda scheme should not. Whether not a disputed prosecution chart comes into evidence, the undelying timeline is damning. Ho for CEFC told then UN President of the General Assembly Vuk Jeremic, who was already working for CEFC, that they wanted to meet his successor Sam Kutesa of Uganda. This culminated, while Kutesa was still UN PGA, in CEFC's chairman Ye Jianming being named a special adviser to the United Nations PGA. This is disgusting, given that CEFC was pushing weapons to Idriss Deby in Chad. More disgusting, Ho used Ye's inroaded into the Czech Republic, whose ambassador to the UN, chairing UN ECOSOC, refused to act on ECOSOC accredited CEFC even after Ho was arrested. Guterres and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric played their cover up roles in this. We'll have more on all this. Gadio is not the defendant in this bribery case - he is, at least so far, the prosecution's lead witness, with a Non Prosecution Agreement. But does that NPA cover Gadio, after his testimony, pushing a journalist on the street outside the court? Video here (YouTube), shorter (Twitter). Inner City Press along with other journalists, mostly from Hong Kong media, waiting outside the Southern District of New York courthouse at day's end. Gadio emerged and Inner City Press asked him how he thought the day had gone. He did not answer but rushed past. Inner City Press asked, louder, "Are you still running for president of Senegal?" Gadio turned back and pushed a journalist who was following him. This happened again a few blocks away. Finally on the stoop of a pharmacy on Canal Street Gadio's companion said he would not be answering questions today but to give your business card. Inner City Press gave its and asked if the former President of Senegal Gadio wrote took money from China for dropping Taiwan was Abdoulaye Wade. Gadio looked back in recognition - then was gone. Inner City Press preiously questioned him in the UN when he was the Organization for Islamic Cooperation's envoy on the Central African Republic. Much has changed since then. As Inner City Press reported yesterday, Gadio was already on shaky ground when his email to Ho complaining he hadn't gotten Chinese money after, as Senegal's foreign minister in 2005, he worked to drop Taiwan and recognize the PR of China. But the bag of (campaign) cash allegation, dropped without warning in cross examination by Edward Kim, caused a break in the proceeding. Inner City Press rushed down to retrieve its phone and tweet and quickly live stream the news, here. Back upstairs, the name of the businessman was not disclosed, allegedly to protect him - from current president Macky Sall? We'll have more on this. Gadio testified for a second day about how he tried to broker weapons to Chad's President Idriss Deby from CEFC's Patrick Ho, who delivered gift boxes with $2 million in cash inside. Gadio's testimony got more specific, that in March 2015 Deby wanted to keep the meeting with CEFC small and confidential, "because of the war situation." Gadio cited Boko Haram, and Ho in a text message said CEFC's offer, for CNPC's 10%, was $200 million "and some arms." This is the head of a still UN accredited NGO, offering weapons for oil - with no audit by SG Antonio Guterres.November 26, 2018

After Cameroon Leak Said PR Van Oosterom Thanked Lobbyists Now Skype Hearing on WOB Appeal

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR Letter  Denial

UNITED NATIONS GATE, November 22 – As the Cameroon government of 36 year President Paul Biya prepared for today's re-coronation to a seventh term by slaughtering civilians in the Anglophone regions as well as in the North, it  re-engaged Washington lobbying firm Squire Patton Boggs, on a retainer of $100,000 per quarter plus expenses, documents show. The UN belatedly acknowledged to Inner City Press, which UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had roughed up on July 3 right after it spoke to Cameroon's Ambassador Tommo Monthe, that Guterres met with a Cameroon delegation on July 11. Guterres' spokesman Farhan Haq has three times refused to answer Inner City Press e-mailed question whether Guterres was aware his meeting was stage managed by lobbyists at Patton Boggs, and what was discussed. While suspended but before the UN outrageously purported to impose a lifetime ban on entry, Inner City Press asked the same and more to the Dutch Mission to the UN, in writing and in person. (And now has its "WOB" appeal set for a hearing, albeit by Skype, below, as now Dutch Ambassador Karel von Oosterom and his Spokesman refuse to answer any Inner City Press questions, unlike other UNSC Ambassador, November 19 video here.) After Guterres banned Inner City Press from entry from July 3 onward, in order to report on the UN Inner City Press had to seek answers other than at the UN Noon Briefing and UN Security Council stakeout position, from which Guterres and Smale also banned it. Inner City Press asks question in front of the UN Delegates Entrance, and has gotten about put online responses from, among others, outgoing UN Human Rights Commissioner Zeid, Burundi's Ambassador, and on August 20, for example, a diplomat on the North Korea sanctions committee -- whose Dutch chair Karel van Oosterom refused to comment.

 This stakeout is where Inner City Press asks questions only because Guterres and Smale have banned it since July 3. But in her August 17 letter, Smale justifies the ban imposed July 3 with this post-July 3 interviews, and says that UNnamed member states - and somehow correspondents - have complained.

 Is that Dutch Ambassador Karel van Oosterom? Inner City Press submitted a FOIA or WOB request - and now an appealon which there will be a Skype hearing, including based on October 7 election irregularities and the denial's evasion on Dutch role in UN censorship which now includes a secret barred list which violations applicable law, see below.  First, the request: "This is request under the WOB / Dutch Freedom of Information act for the following records as that term is defined in WOB, including but not limited to all electronic records, emails, text/SMS message and communications in any form, involving the Netherlands Mission to the UN in New York since August 15, 2017 regarding Cameroon and/or Southern Cameroons and all meeting including Amb van Oosterom's July 11 meeting with Cameroonian ministers, all responses to communications received about Cameroon including but not limited to Inner City Press' communications of

July 14, 2018 to "Eybergen, Bas van"
NYV@minbuza.nl
Frits.Kemperman [at] minbuza.nl,
NYV-COM@minbuza.nl, Oosterom and Kaag

July 25, 2018 to the same recipients;
and August 12, 2018 to the same recipients;
and multiple verbal questions to your PR and DPR since July 3.
  To explain the last part of this request, the head of UN Dep't of Public Info Alison Smale in issuing a lifetime ban to my on August 17 wrote "“We would also note your conduct at the entrances of the United Nations premises and nearby, including the use of profanities and derogatory assertions and language toward individuals accessing the United Nations, in close proximity to them. Video / live broadcasts of this are frequently published on the Inner City Press' website and other media platforms. This conduct gives rise to potential safety concerns for Member State diplomats...The conduct described above has generated multiple complaints to the United Nations from Member States."

  Given Ambassador van Oosterom and his Deputy PR's flat refusal to answer or even acknowledge the Cameroon questions I asked them at the Delegates Entrance stakeout, most recently Amb van Oosterom on August 20 about North Korea (on which other delegations answered, despite PR van Oosterom being the chair), this is a request for all record that reflect or are related to any communications by the Dutch Mission to the UN about questions or comments received at the stakeout(s).
Given the situations in Cameroon and South Cameroons, I and Inner City Press asked for expedited processes of this request." And we received back this: "Bedankt voor uw e-mail.
Afhankelijk van de aard en inhoud van uw bericht kunt u binnen twee werkdagen een reactie tegemoet zien.
Uw kenmerk is E3487878
Met vriendelijke groet,
Informatie Rijksoverheid
Thank you for your e-mail.
Depending on the nature and content of your message you can expect a reply within two working days.
Your reference is E3487878
Kind regards,
Public Information Service, Government of the Netherlands." But now on September 20, another extension: "
Date September 2Oth 2018 MinBuza-2018.1035870
Re Postponement notice in relation to Wob application
Dear Mr. Lee,
By email of August 22th 2018 you submitted an application to my Ministry as
referred to in section 3, subsection 1 of the Government Information (Public
Access) Act (Wet openbaarheid van bestuur; WOB) concerning PVVN meetings
regarding Cameroon.
The Wob provides that a decision must generally be taken within four weeks after
receipt of the application, but may be deferred by four weeks. It is not possible to
decide on your application within four weeks because more time is necessary to
ensure that the decision is taken with due care. On the basis of section 6 of the
WOB 1 am therefore extending the time limit for deciding on your application by
four weeks.
1f you have any questions concerning the status of your application and the time
limit for dealing with it, please contact DJZ-NR.
Yours sincerely,
For the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
the acting head of the Netherlands Law Devision of the Legal Affairs Department,

mr. drs. ie" But having received no documents on October 22, still banned but watching van Oosterom say how he would tweet each of the ten points in his UN Security Council speech, Inner City Press itself tweeted that it had no WOB response. Minutes later an email from his Alternate Political Coordinator Charlotte van Baak with a letter dated October 17, five days before, denying access to any documents at all. Letter here on Patreon, here on Scribd.

Netherlands Denies Press Ac... by on Scribd

This is the text: "Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations 666 Third Avenue, New York 10017 www.netherlandsmission.org
Contact Bas van Eybergen
Date
October 17, 2018 WOB Request on Cameroon
Dear Mr Lee,
In your email of 8/22/18 you requested information on Cameroon, invoking the Government Information (Public Access) Act (Wet openbaarheid van bestuur; WOB).
The documents you requested concerned "all electronic records, emails, text/SMS message and communications in any form, involving the Netherlands Mission to the UN in New York since August 15, 2017 regarding Cameroon and/or Southem Cameroons and all meeting including Amb van Oosterom's July 11 meeting with Cameroonian ministers, all responses to communications received about Cameroon including but not limited to Inner City Press' communications."
Statutory framework Your application falls within the scope of the Government Information (Public Access) Act.
Specification of documents In response to your application, the following documents have been found:
- Internal emails from August 2017 until October 2018
External emails from August 2017 until October 2018 A preparatory document for a meeting with a delegation of another UN member state, dated 07/12/18 One instruction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Permanent Mission, dated 10/12/18 Two reports of the Permanent Mission to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dated 08/23/18 and 10/14/18
Decision I have decided not to disclose the requested documents. Please find the considerations for my decision in the next paragraph.
Considerations
Intemal Consultations Section 11, subsection 1 of the WOB provides that where an application concerns information contained in documents drawn up for the purpose of internal consultation, no information will be disclosed concerning personal opinions on policy contained in them.
It is apparent from the history of the legislation that the phrase "documents drawn up for the purpose of internal consultation' should be deemed to include papers drawn up by civil servants, the ministry's senior management and political leadership, correspondence within a ministry and between ministries, draft documents, meeting agendas, minutes, summaries and conclusions of internal discussions and reports of civil service advisory committees. As regards these documents, the intention to treat them as documents for internal consultation must either be expressly apparent or reasonably surmisable. This limitation of the duty of disclosure has been included in the WOB because it is necessary to ensure that civil servants and any external participants taking part in the internal discussions and involved in formulating and preparing policy do not feel constricted in doing so. They must be able to communicate entirely frankly among themselves and with government ministers. Only the positions actually adopted by the administrative authority are relevant constitutionally. Personal opinions on policy include views, opinions, comments, proposals and conclusions, together with the arguments put forward in support of them.
The internal emails have been drawn up for the purpose of internal consultation and contain personal opinions on policy. I have decided not to disclose any information of those internal emails, as I do not consider that public disclosure of the positions taken individually by civil servants would be in the interests of effective, democratic governance. I therefore see no reason to disclose.
Interational relations Section 10, subsection 2, opening words and (a) of the WOB provides that data should not be disclosed if the interest in disclosure is outweighed by the interest in maintaining relations between the Netherlands and other States or international organisations. The history of this provision shows that this ground for refusal is intended to prevent a situation in which a statutory duty to disclose information would have the effect of harming Dutch international
relations. In order for this provision to be applied, it is not necessary for deterioration of good relations with other countries to be expected. It is instead sufficient if the provision of information is likely in some ways to make international contacts more difficult, for example if maintaining diplomatic relations or conducting bilateral consultations with countries would be harder than before or if people in these countries would be less inclined to provide certain data than previously.
The external emails, and the documents dated 07/12/18, 10/12/18, 08/23/18 and 10/14/18 include information that could harm the international relations of the Netherlands. I have therefore decided not to disclose them.
Yours sincerely,
Charlotte van Baak Alternate Political Coordinator of the Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Nations in New York."  Is this Freedom of Information in The Netherlands - every document withheld, by one's own subordinate? And so on October 24, to the Mission and Ministry's Legal Adviser Mirnel Comic, Inner City Press has filed this appeal: "NOTICE OF OBJECTION

October 24, 2018

This is a formal notice of objection to / appeal from the total denial of my 22 August 2018 WOB request. After repeated delays, the response from the Dutch Mission to the UN only mentions one part of my request, on Cameroon, and on that denies access to every single documents, external as well as internal, with a logic that would make the Ministry of Foreign Affairs entirely exempt from the WOB, clearly not the legislative intent.

Beyond the shameful denial of all Cameroon related documents, the belated response troublingly does not mention this portion of my request: “the head of UN Dep't of Public Info Alison Smale in issuing a lifetime ban to my on August 17 wrote "“We would also note your conduct at the entrances of the United Nations premises and nearby, including the use of profanities and derogatory assertions and language toward individuals accessing the United Nations, in close proximity to them. Video / live broadcasts of this are frequently published on the Inner City Press' website and other media platforms. This conduct gives rise to potential safety concerns for Member State diplomats...The conduct described above has generated multiple complaints to the United Nations from Member States."

Given Ambassador van Oosterom and his Deputy PR's flat refusal to answer or even acknowledge the Cameroon questions I asked them at the Delegates Entrance stakeout, most recently Amb van Oosterom on August 20 about North Korea (on which other delegations answered, despite PR van Oosterom being the chair), this is a request for all record that reflect or are related to any communications by the Dutch Mission to the UN about questions or comments received at the stakeout(s).” This was and is not limited to questions about Cameroon but rather any documents related to the area around the Delegates Entrance Gate and related to freedom of the Press, communications with UN Department of Public Information / Global Communications or UN Security. The invocation of the exemption used implies the Government, or at least Mission, wants secrecy in order to lobby for the censorship the UN is engaged in. I demand expedited treatment of this appeal, in that the withdrawal of my media accreditation amid questions on Cameroon and other topics has morphed into a seemingly lifetime ban on a secretary “barred” list that the UN claims is an internal document [video here] even with respect to people on it. This is a violation of human rights, including EU/EC rights. I demand expedited treatment, also after irregularities in the Cameroon elections of Oct 7, for this notice of objection." And now (on October 30) from The Hague and not like the response from the very Mission questioned this acknowledgement of appeal and timeline: "Dear Mr. Lee, I hereby ackowledge receipt of your notice of objection to the decision on your Wob request dated 8/22/18. I would like to draw your attention to the handling period for your notice of objection. You receive a decision or adjournment notice within six weeks of the day on which the deadline for submitting the notice of objection expired. In the event of an adjournment notice, the decision on your notice of objection will be adjourned for a maximum of six weeks.
Met vriendelijke groeten, / With kind regards,
Edith Kraaijeveld Administratief medewerker"

And on November 22 - US Thanksgiving - this:
"Dear Mr. Lee,
Your objection will be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the General Administrative Law Act (Algemene wet bestuursrecht; Awb). This means that, provided your notice of objection satisfies the requirements of the Awb, you in principle have the right to be heard on the matter of your objection.
With a view to establishing a objections committee for the purpose of a hearing, please inform me before December 1st 2018 whether you wish to exercise the right to be heard in accordance with section 7:2 of the Awb. This hearing will take place by Skype.
If you do not indicate before this date that you wish to exercise this right, no hearing will take place.
Met vriendelijke groeten, / With kind regards,
Edith Kraaijeveld
Administratief medewerker
Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken
Directie Juridische Zaken
Afdeling Nederlands Recht
Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Legal Affairs Department | Netherlands Law Division (DJZ/NR)." Inner City Press on Thanksgiving replied: "This is to confirm that I do hereby assert my right to be heard in accordance with section 7:2 of the General Administrative Law Act and to pursue these records I have been seeking for months. Please advise." Watch this site.November 19, 2018


In UN Bribery Case of China Energy Iran Sanctions and Arms Deal Evidence Will Come In, Belt and Road Is Out

By Matthew Russell Lee, Video, Q&A, HK here

FEDERAL COURTHOUSE, November 14 – In the UN bribery prosecution by the US against Patrick Ho of China Energy Fund Committee,  Ho has tried to use CEFC's ongoing UN "Special Consultative Status" to avoid criminal charges. This and Ho's other motions were denial by Judge Preska on November 14, including a motion to exclude testimony from Cheikh Gadio, from government expert Mr. Walkout, and to exclude Ho's dealings with Sam Kutesa's predecessor as UNGA President Sam Ashe. All of this will come in at trial - and makes the failure by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to even audit CEFC's bribes in the UN more outrageous. This UN-accredited NGO offered to broker arms not only to Chad but also Qatar, Libya and South Sudan, about which Guterres and the UN purport to care so much. Ho and CEFC offered themselves as  way to evade Iran sanctions. This evidence will come in a trial; the government has agreed not to mention terrorism or US - Iran relations. A 23 minute video of Ho's UN speeches will not come in, being called "gauzy" as is the UN of Guterres who has banned Inner City Press which covers the UN's increasing corruption, from Ng Lap Seng and Ashe to CEFC, Kutesa and beyond, ongoing. We'll have more on this. Ho was trying to exclude testimony from initial co-defendant Cheikh Gadio about Chadian President Idriss Deby's reaction to the bribe. The papers were filed on November 13 and are first being reported by Inner City Press, which as it covers this second UN bribery case has been roughed up and now banned for 132 days by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres who won't even audit CEFC's ongoing activities in the UN. Four months after the arrest for UN bribery of former Senegalese foreign minister Cheik Gadio and Patrick Ho, the head of China Energy Fund Committee full funded by CEFC China Energy, his ultimate boss at CEFC Ye Jianming was brought in for questioning in China. On October 4 Ho was again denied bail. Periscope video here. On October 22, the new trial date was set for November 26. On November 12 Inner City Press, banned from the UN by Secretary General Antonio Guterres amid its questions about the CEFC bribery and its connection to the Ng Lap Seng conviction, asked Guterres and his spokesmen: "November 12-4: Now that it is clear that Foreign Intelligence Surveilance Act wiretaps show Sheri Yan, jailed for UN bribery in the PGA John Ashe case, communicating and planned with Patrick Ho of CEFC, please explain why SG Antonio Guterres has not even started an audit into the range CEFC's bribery and interactions in the UN, why it still has access to UN while Inner City Press which which pursued Ng Lap Seng's and Yan's bribery even into the UN Press Briefing Room (29 Jan 2016) and the Patrick Ho / CEFC case, has been denied access to anything in the UN for 131 days with no due process." Guterres' deputy spokesman Farhan Haq conducted a noon briefing Inner City Press was banned from, starting with a total of three correspondents. Video here. He and the UN have not answered since, see below. After he did not answer - but he did answer Yahoo News for a story which, inexplicably, does not mention Guterres or his failure to audit CEFC's activities at the UN. Others who have done nothign about the bribery, or about Guterres' roughing up and banning of Inner City Press, like HRW's Ken Roth and FP's Colum Lynch, belatedly retweeted the Ho / Yan corruption story. But what will they and the UN they love so much do? On November 4 Ho's attempt to "suppress all evidence obtained or derived under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act" was denied, with a decision that no hearing on it was needed. The FISA information includes wiretaps of Ho and another bribing NGO the Global Sustainability Foundations's Sheri Yan or her deputy planning to pay bribes. This is described today by the Sydney Morning Herald, which while saying that UN officials who it leaves unnamed are lavishing praises on the Belt and Road which Ho now uses as a defense of his alleged bribes, fails to mention main praiser Antonio Guterres. Nor does SMH - Shaking My Head -- mention that unlike even Ban Ki-mon with Ng Lap Seng, Guterres has refused to even start an audit into Ho's (and Yang II's) bribery in the UN, but instead had roughed up and banned Inner City Press which reports on it. Ng Lap Seng paid money to a group Guterres is slated to headline a fundraiser for on December 5, a group he and his spokesman Stephane Dujarric use to support their attack on the investigative Press. We'll have more on this. Hong Kong television has broadcast a report on these alleged UN and Deby bribes, including an interview with Inner City Press which has been banned from the UN by Antonio Guterres amid its coverage of UN corruption and Guterres' refusal to even audit, has been broadcast.
November 12, 2018

Made Diplomats and UN Officials Feel UNsafe But Solution Is Simple

By Matthew Russell Lee, CJR  Q&A, NY Post

UNITED NATIONS GATE,  NOVEMBER 8 -- As Inner City Press moved forward with its inquiry into UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres' personal use of public funds, silence on slaughter in Cameroon and elsewhere and failure to disclose family members' financial interests in Angola and elsewhere, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric on 20 June 2018 said that “things will soon be getting worse” for Inner City Press' reporter. Inner City Press has now been banned from the UN for 127 days and Dujarric is providing his and his boss' pretext, as purported background, to some of those asking questions, at least if they come from Europe, see below. The pretexts are lies - now that they are becoming public, the ban is more disgusting and should be UNtenable.

  Two days after Dujarric's threat this reporter was pushed out of the General Assembly lobby during a speech by Guterres by UN Security Lieutenant Ronald E. Dobbins, who did it again more violently on July 3. Since then Inner City Press has been banned from entering the UN, and Guterres even tried to get Inner City Press ousted from Park East Synagogue twenty blocks north of the UN on October 31.

   As many online have questioned this no due process ouster, including from Cameroon, Japan, the UK, Italy and other places in Europe, we can now report that Dujarric while refusing to answer Inner City Press' and a UN Expert's written questions about how to appeal this lifetime ban has reached out to try to quiet some critics.

Tellingly, while he has entirely ignored for example Anglophone Cameroonian critics regardless of how polite or articulate they are, or how many social media followers they have, Dujarric has reached out to European critics. What does he tell them?

  To give the UN its best chance, Inner City Press on the morning of November 8 emailed questions to Guterres, his Deputy Amina Mohammed, Alison Smale, Dujarric and his Deputy Farhan Haq including: "November 8-2: I am informed that the SG's spokesman has selectively contacted those (from Europe) raising questions about the UN 3 July 2018 Press ouster and ban since, including stating that unnamed UN staff members or officials demand a lifetime ban in order to feel “safe.” Given the lack of due process, please name which officials or safe claim to feel unsafe in order to justify censorship, and the basis for your claims. Also, again, answer UNSR David Kaye's and others' question: what is the appeals process for a unilateral no due process physical ouster and banning by the UN of a journalist?" But seven hour later, no answer to any of the questions.

   So, for now due to the UN's constant threat of retaliation even against those it has unilaterally chosen to reach out to with dirt that cannot stand the light of day, this is a composite:

Dujarric claims that Inner City Press made "diplomats" feel unsafe. But he has yet to provide the name of a single diplomat, other than the false Morocco Mission complaint in USG Alison Smale's 17 August 2018 ban letter.

Dujarric claims that his staff didn't like having the movement reported on. This seems to refer to Inner City Press, once it had no office to use, working on a bench in the Secretariat lobby and noting when spokespeople who refused to even acknowledge formal questions went out to lunch. This is not a basis to ban a journalist for life.

Dujarric goes low and says that unnamed female reporters didn't want to see Inner City Press doing stand-up Periscope broadcasts. But the purpose of these -- filming on the fourth floor was permitted without an escort, Inner City Press was told by Media Accreditation -- was to show EMPTY offices, for example Morocco state media, while Inner City Press had nowhere to work. In fact, Inner City Press went out of its way not to speak with or engage in any way with Dujarric's coterie of pro UN correspondents - that why it left the building after work through the garage, which was later used against it.

  There is more, and we will have more. But it is clear these are pretexts. And even if Antonio "The Censor" Guterres, who believes it is impermissible for a journalist to do a critical stand up on the public sidewalk across two lanes of traffic from the $15 million publicly funded mansion he (sometimes) lives in believes these pretexts, an interim solution was and is clear.

 Simply allow Inner City Press in to go to the noon briefing and asked question - unless that is what they are afraid of - and to cover UNSC stakeouts and Budget Committee meetings. It is pathetic that a UN and Secretary General that be focused on "conflict prevention" can't find a solution other than violent ouster and banning for a critical journalist. We'll have more on this.

November 5, 2018

UN Guterres On 16th Public Funded Trip to Lisbon For Lula Award Decided by CPLP in Cape Verde Where His Son Pedro Does Business

By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive, CJR