Sunday 28 November 2010

OIOS Internal Investigations into UNMIT Sexual Abuse, Misconduct, Corruption and Bad Management

Tempo Semanal Eskluxive-Dili, 28.11.2010
Tempo Semanal can reveal that since 2007 25 audits of UNMIT operations have been conducted by the United Nations Chief Auditor and Investigator in New York known as the Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS).

To date sources have provided this newspaper with a comprehensive list of all OIOS reports, and complete copies of 8 of the total 25 OIOS reports.

The reports that are not available as yet include investigations into fatal accidents, sexual abuse, theft, misuse of property, fraud, gross staff misconduct, money laundering/fraudulent wire transfer, and poor performance in the UNMIT Public Information Office. All are listed below.

The reports which this newspaper has obtained copies of involve investigation into :

• poor management performance in the assessment of risk in UNMIT doing its job well.

• Poor UNPOL performance, and how UNPOL were able to use rubber bullets in Timor-Leste despite being banned elsewhere, among other police failures such as a counterproductive command and control agreements between UNPOL and PNTL. As well as the very high rate of UNPOL car accidents some of which involved Timorese fatalities and grievous injuries.

• Poor and slow recruitment caused UNMIT to fail to be able to fulfill its tasks in its critical first 18 months.

• Poor management and performance in UNMIT Serious Crimes Unit.

• Wasteful procurement against UN rules, with suggestions of corruption.

• Poor management of Travel Funds, waste, misuse and possible corruption.

• Poor management and performance of UNMIT’s Security Sector Support Unit, with one staff member being in serious breach of professional guidelines.

• Poor management of UNMIT Administration of Justice Unit. One bad effect is that it leads to poor relations with Timorese Government partners..

On 23 November 2010 this paper asked Mr. George Kakuk Chief Spokesman for the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), Caicoli Dili to 1) provide comment on the reports that this newspaper has obtained copies of, 2) provide this newspaper with copies of the reports which still secret.. The United Nations is charged with promoting transparency and accountability in the state institutions of Timor-Leste and is often very critical of these institutions when they are not transparent or accountable.

If a Timorese kills someone on a fatal car accident, UNMIT will quite rightly demand access to justice to on behalf of the victim and his/her family. But if a UNPOL or UN staff commits a crime such as this, it seeks to cover up the facts and circumstances. This is also relevant in the cases of sexual assault, theft, misconduct and corruption.

In the case of the OIOS reports as detailed by this newspaper Mr. Kakuk and UNMIT refuse to give copies of reports as yet unavailable, however they promised to deliver comments by Friday 26 November 2010 but in conclusion Mr. Kakuk informed Tempo Semanal that he was unable to comment because UNMIT Legal Affairs has yet to make a determination on what UNMIT can state in regards to the misconduct, mismanagement and possible criminal activities of UN staff in Timor-Leste between 2007 and 2010.

Mr. Kakuk has informed that this newspaper may run the story without UNMIT at this stage, but commits to an UNMIT response with a week.

Between 2007 and 2010 the UN Special Representative of the Secretary –General (SRSG) in charge of UNMIT was Mr.. Atul Khare of India. Since early 2010 the SRSG for UNMIT has been Ms. Ameerah Haq. The vast majority, 72%, of OIOS investigations into UNMIT misconduct occurred while Mr. Khare was in office.

The newspaper will be reviewing the documents in ittt possession over the coming weeks and will 1) produce reports on each, and 2) publish each document online.
Below is a complete list of OIOS reports 2007-2010 which this newspaper has in its possession (8) and has requested from UNMIT (17), but as yes UNMIT has refused to act in a transparent and accountable manner. Complete OIOS report lists.

Period 2007:

1. 03/10/2007 Risk Assessment UNMIT No.AP2007/682/06 (on file with TS)

2. 29/11/2007 Investigation into an allegation of sexual molestation by a contingent formed police unit officer in the United Nations integrated Mission in Timor-Leste 0404/07 UNMIT ID
Period 2008:

3. 04/03/2008 Audit Report UN Police in UNMIT, Recruitment at UNMIT, No. AP2007/682/01 (on file with TS)

4. 09/05/2008 Closure report on allegations of false expense claims by UN Contractors in the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT). 0482/07 OIOS IA

5. 09/05/2008 Closure report on harassment by UN Civilian Police Chief of Staff in the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT). 0039/08 OIOS ID

6. 15/05/2008 Closure report on possible misconduct of staff member in the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT). 0640/07 OIOS ID

7. 27/05/2008 Closure report on death threat allegations at the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT). 0590/07 OIOS ID

8. 27/05/2008 Investigation report on sexual assault by a Formed Police Unit member in the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT). 0113/08 DFS ID

9. 19/11/2008 Closure report on possible misconduct by a UNPOL Officer at the United Nations Office in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) ID 0681/07 OIOS

10. 28/11/2008 Closure report on possible theft of personal property at the United Nations Office in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) ID 0423/08 OIOS

11. 05/12/2008 Audit Report Recruitment at UNMIT, No. AP2008/682/04 (on file with TS)

Period 2009:

12. 10/02/2009 Serious Crimes Investigation Programme in UNMIT, Delays in commencement of investigative work has resulted in a backlog of cases, No. AP2008/682/06 (on file with TS)

13. 21/04/2009 Closure report on possible misconduct by a staff member of the United Nations Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) ID 0112/09 DFS

14. 24/07/2009 Closure report on fatal traffic accident in the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) DFS 0580/08 ID

15. 07/08/2009 Audit of procurement management in UNMIT - Further improvements to the procurement process needed to ensure compliance with the Procurement Manual UNMIT AP2008/682/07 IAD (on file with TS)

16. 27/08/2009 Travel arrangements in UNMIT - Inadequate internal controls over travel and related entitlements UNMIT AP2009/682/06 IAD (on file with TS)

17. 28/09/2009 Closure report on possible misconduct by staff members at the United Nations Integrated Mission in East Timor (UNMIT) DFS 0068/08 ID

18. 23/12/2009 Audit Report, Management of the Security Sector Support Programme in UNMIT - UNMIT's Support to security sector review and reform in Timor-Leste has not been fully effective UNMIT AP2009/682/02 IAD (on file with TS)

Period 2010:

19. 29/01/2010 Investigation report on the fraudulent wire transfer by a staff member at the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) DFS 0290/09 ID

20. 26/02/2010 Preliminary Investigation report on misuse of communication and information technology resources by a United Nations Police Officer at the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) DFS 0222/09 ID

21. 01/03/2010 Support to the development of the administration of justice in Timor-Leste - Progress has been made in supporting the development of the capacity of the justice sector; however, more efforts are needed to increase the level of engagement with national counterparts UNMIT AP2009/682/03 IAD (on file with TS)

22. 28/05/2010 Investigation report on misuse of information and communication technology resources by a staff member at the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) DFS 0172/10 ID

23. 28/05/2010 Advisory on the misuse of information and communication technology resources in the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) 0222/09, 0170/10, 0171/10, 0172/10 DFS ID

24. 11/06/2010 Investigation report on misuse of information and communication technology resources by a staff member at the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) DFS 0170/10 ID

25. 15/06/2010 Public information services in UNMIT - Ineffective planning and weak governance diminished the efficiency and effectiveness of UNMIT's public information services UNMIT AP2009/682/04 IAD. (TS)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

SHAME ON UN-MISSION INTEGRATED in TIMOR LESTE. People of Timor have Enough of UN appalling and revolting behaviors with its system – GO HOME UN!!!

Anonymous said...

Timor-Leste can leave without this horrible people, who don't know how to do their work. In their countries they have a lot of problems and they come here to do what? Only to have money... They don't even respect the UN institution, it's a shame! They aren't able to make capacity building on the comunities, 'cause they don't have rools in their own countries!
WE DON'T NEED UN IN TIMOR! It's enough!

Anonymous said...

GO TO YOUR HOME UN...GO NOW...

Anonymous said...

GOOD JOB FOR EXPOSING UNMIT'S "DIRTY LAUNDRY" THE TIMORESE PEOPLE DO NOT NEED THE UNMIT AT ALL!! UNMIT STAFF ARE JUST FATTENING THEIR WALLETS DOING NOTHING BUT CHAOS, ESPECIALLY THE HIGH LEVEL STAFF IN COMMMAND OF UNMIT. CORRUPTION AND MISMANAGEMENT ARE ALSO KNOWN TO THE PEOPLE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF FIELD SUPPORT IN NEW YORK AND TURN A BLIND EYE ON THEM.

SHAME SHAME SHAME UNMIT!!!!