"It was a judgment call," Dervis said. "My judgment call would probably have been different," he said, adding that he could see both side.
BUT THE TRUTH IS DIFFERENT
According to UNDP WATCH eyewitnesses at 17th floor - yesterday morning the Nr.#2 of Bureau of Management, Ali Alzatari was quite early in his office placing calls all over the BOM demanding that all documentation regarding CORIMEC be brought to his office by 10:15 am.
Ali almost got a heart-attack when he saw that the truth he was about to tell to 21st floor, was quite different to what BOM has kept telling Kemal Dervis in the past days. The documentation lying in front of his table, suggested without doubt that ACP decision was not a "JUDGEMENT CALL" as described from Kemal Dervis, but rather a deliberate "REJECTION OF THE CASE".
Yes the ACP in New York had REJECTED the case on the grounds that CORIMEC was no longer on the good-standing list of United Nations Vendors and that the company was "blacklisted" from UNPS. Since in this case the supplier was involved in bribing and that was a very serious matter, the ACP members unanimously did not support this contract.
But Krishan Batra decided to over-pass the authority of the ACP, and since the Highest Procurement Body of UNDP had never kept signed minutes of its meeting-decisions (since Krishan took over), he decided to re-write history and approve the contract on an "exceptional basis".
-----ORIGINAL EMAIL----------
From: Krishan Batra [mailto:krishan.batra@undp.org]
Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 5:38 PM
To: 'Christine Tonkin'; 'Akiko Yuge'; 'Thomas Eriksson'
Subject: RE: ACP/07/0196 - Additional Flat Pack House for Earth Affected Area in Pakistan
Importance: High
Dear Akiko:
The above case was withheld on following grounds.
1) The proposed supplier has been blacklisted by UN/Procurement Section on account of giving bribe to UN procurement staff. As Christine has mentioned we don’t restrict the use of suppliers blacklisted by other UN agencies but we expect due diligence to be undertaken to check the ground of blacklisting. Since in this case the supplier was involved in bribing and that is very serious matter, the ACP members did not support this.
2) IAPSO is piggybacking on UN/PS Long Term Arrangement and that presently does not exist because they have blacklisted the supplier.
3) Since many other agencies have been involved in supplying pre-fabricated housing from different suppliers, the ACP was not convinced that standardization is not a credible reason.
4) However based on message from the client i.e. Pakistan they are very happy with the previous consignment. The consignment from UNOPS had technical problems. Since the price is reasonable, I will take up the matter with ACP members to clear the case on an exceptional basis. The contract amount is nearly $2 millions
Thanks and regards.
Krishan
-------end of email-------
UNDP Watch discussed the matter with various members of the ACP and all of them declared that Krishan Batra never came back to ACP to demand their re-evaluation and possible acceptance on "exceptional basis".
One member of ACP, (Who's identity is kept from fear of retaliation), said for UNDP WATCH microphones that:-" We never approved this contract. Krishan brought it only once for our discussion and we rejected it. Krishan always plays with our words in our back - because ACP never keep records of our deliberations. Is Krishan himself who after each meeting seats in his office and fill out ATLAS forms for cases, and he writes whatever he wants, and send them directly to Akiko Yuge for her approval. He should be held accountable for his deliberate corrupt behaviour."
A Second Member of ACP, said for UNDP Watch that: "Krishan Batra doesn't want any minutes on the ACP, because if we would have had minutes, out of 1.7 billion approved list of procurement maybe half of them were really approved from ACP members. The rest are either direct review, or a manipulation of Krishan with Akiko and their connections with the RCPOs or Resident Representatives. Krishan Batra is custodian to millions of dollars re-direcxted, manipulate from many high-level officials. Krishan knows and holds secreets for almost everyone in UNDP management. That's why they will never remove someone like Krishan."
A third member of ACP, said: "it is ridiculous to see the level of capacity of those represented in ACP. Before Krishan Batra, ACP was made of the top representatives from each Regional Bureau. Everytime there was some important submission, if the CO wasn't able to come to NY we would have the Desk-Officer for that Country in NY represent the submission. Krishan Batra has deliberately lowered the capacity of ACP to the level of assistants and SSAs, in order to rule and swing ACP whichever way he or his supervisors wanted to. In my opinion ACP should return to its previous composition, where Programme Managers take the leadership and where Procurement Unit plays only advisory role. Under Krishan we are currently in a major conflict of interest."
The UNDP Watch questions are:1. Did Krishan approve this out of his own will, an therefore for a price (bribe) from CORIMEC; or
2. Did Krishan approve this out of fear and direct orders from someone higher-up in UNDP who had direct connections with CORIMEC and had received the bribe;
Well these questions should now be answered from a direct investigation to the case.
Will see UNDP Watch will follow this case closely.
25 comments:
just fire this currupt bastard !!!
No signed minutes of ACP ? How can we trust other deliberations were reached in consensus. Does this implies that might be more to it ?
Wait I saw your pieace on Samaras being "put asside". Is this related to the case of Corimec or that turkish case of Tuzla. I mean is he or not ex-officio of ACP? I don't quite understand.
Samaras is ex-officio of ACP without right-to-vote. He can make comments but not vote.
This can't be true. I refuse to believe that ACP has no signed minutes of meetings. At least in ATLAS era must be some kind of collaborative-on-line approval form that goes around and all members approve or click on it. Cannot be that only Krishan is the one to upload comments.
Send Akiko and Krishan to the gallows!
Oh my god this can't be true. Mrl. Administrator should act on this and totally desband ACP.
corrupt mfckrs !!!!
Krishan is corrupt. He is now much more powerful with Peri Johnson in his side. They are all day togehter and plan how to take over publi procurements.
why Administrator continue to deny it? Hard to understand.
I work at UNPS. What this blog is saying is totally true. Yesterday morning Mr. Dimitri Samaras came to UNPS and asked for a copy of the suspended vendor list. He was in hurry and said that it was for his superiors. He signed for the copy and left.
The suspended vendors list was and IS for his "superiors" all right! With that kind of evidence (exhibit # 1 out of xxx), he'll put them right up against the wall for the firing squad.
Shame on Krishan, Peri, Akiko and all those unscrupulous people in UNDP...
shame ?? What shame, krishan has no shame. He is a corrupt animal.
Krishan just came back in office.
Fire Krishan Batra. The status of our Procurement Services under his leadership have deteriorated. The composition of ACP is now degraded to barely SSAs and Assistants. There is no voice of Country Offices, and Regional Bureaux have lost their weight. We need to move on. We've had enough of Indian Mafia.
Mr. Dervis should hear the discontent of staff and institutionalize immediately internal control mechanisms to protect UNDP's reputation. Cannot be that Krishan Batra is more important than UNDP. Just move the damn man out of ACP and PSO. Clean up the place and let the rest of UNDP honest staff do our work. We have become ridiculous in the eyes of the world with all these scandals.
I agree. Krishan BAtra is not more important. If Kemal Dervis wants Krishan so badly, send him as Resident Representative in Mongolia or East Timor or else, but Batra just can't stand anymore after all these scandals to represent the UNDP Procurement. Just can't be.
Denying CORIMEC as smth that happen long long time ago. Sound to me like a very well known music - the Counterfeit in North Korea. were there from a long time ago. Administrator forget that we are all professionals and intellectuals and we all know how to read and understand the situation. Mr. Dervis should understand that Krishan Batra has made many mistakes and he has to pay for those. That's the rule in democracy. We cannot stand here and watch how Dervis reward impunity.
Do we have a Staff Council ? What does the Staff Council think of all this mess? Is Samaras involved in the scandal ? Is this why the Staff Council is silent ?
We need to reclaim our organization. We cannot loose UNDP because of a corrupt individual like him.
Samars is totally involved in CORIMEC someone at PSO told me that Samaas was part of the approval process for CORIMEC and that Krishan Batra is helding him hostage on this one.
Just shut down the UN, is a better and cheeeeeper solution.!!!!!!!!!
Let the Europeans get the UN. Let's see how they'll feed them. Crooooooookssss!!!
This is despicable and reprehensible. Everyday I read something on UNDP Watch which just reinforces my opinion that certain people consider UNDP as their fiefdom and kitty to tap into whenever they see fit.
How much longer will UNDP hemorrhage before appropriate action is taken? When will the Secretary-General realise how much trouble the organisation is in and take immediate remedial, punitive, and corrective action? How many more instances of favouratism, corruption, inefficiency, mismanagement, and downright lies does it need? Fish rot at the head and that where a change is needed presto!!!
MY heart goes out in sympathy to all those professionals who really want to make a difference and are stymied by the likes Dervis, Melkert and others...
When will the Secretary-General realise how much trouble the organisation is in and take immediate remedial, punitive, and corrective action? How many more instances of favouratism, corruption, inefficiency, mismanagement, and downright lies does it need? Fish rot at the head and that where a change is needed presto!!!
Unfortunately, hirings and promotions routinely violate UN rules and revolve around patronage and whom one knows rather than professional qualifications. Poorly performing managers are simply moved into different management slots while others are placed in senior positions only because of his/her nationality (lately we have seen sooooo many examples).Also notice how many play on their dual, triple citizenships for these promotions. Gosh I have never seen that many Canucks, Norwegians, and Dutch
As one of the young graduates I know quipped: "I don't have vitamin C so I know that i will never work for the UN or one of its agencies". Another person,an experienced manager from the private sector has unsuccessfully applied for a job with the UN for the past four yrs. Finally, he wrote to the Director of the NA office of one of the agencies under the tutelage of the UNDP to enquire about his application and got a newbie JPO from HR asking him to call her. I guess the director was too busy to write a one-liner.
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