OWN CORRESPONDENT, Geneva | Monday 7.30pm.
THE United Nations’ chief internal overseer Karl Paschke confirmed on Monday that his office was investigating several cases of corruption at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Africa.
Paschke, who is in Geneva for one of his two annual visits, confirmed his office has “ongoing” investigations into a number of UNHCR cases in east and west Africa. Although tightlipped on details of the investigations, he said that one UNHCR case under the spotlight concerns goods that were diverted from people in need and wound up for sale in local markets.
He did say that the problems that the UNHCR faces in the field are mostly related to partner organizations, which may not always be up to standard as far as reliability and accountability are concerned.
London’s Financial Times reports have accused the UNHCR of widespread mismanagement and fiscal fraud, including allegations that some operations, particularly in Africa, are consuming funds illegally. The UNHCR strongly denied all of the charges.
The IOS office was established in November 1994 with Paschke at its helm and a mandate to root out corruption at the world body. Paschke said his office has accounted for $20-million in savings during a one-year period from July 1997 to June 1998. The information appears in the fourth IOS annual report due to be issued in about ten days.
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