In a bombshell announcement, Christopher Burnham, undersecretary general for management, said an internal audit into the purchasing of supplies for peacekeeping operations found widespread waste and corruption that has raised "a number of serious concerns" about the U.N. procurement system. "The potential abuse could go into the tens of millions of dollars," Burnham said. ........we are in the middle of looking at 200 different reports of abuse."
Andrew Toh, a 25-year U.N. official who headed the Office of Central Support Services, and Procurement Division chief Christian Saunders already have been placed on administrative leave. Eight more officials have also been suspended.
The revelation of this latest probe came as U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan struggles to repair the world body's reputation in the wake of the $11 billion oil-for-food scandal and is certain to renew political pressure from Congress for wholesale changes at the United Nations.
Meanwhile, South Korean lobbyist Tongsun Park, 70, was indicted yesterday by a grand jury in Manhattan federal court in connection with the oil-for-food scandal. |