In UN Biter-Gate, Search On For Doss' Daughter, Bill Clinton Haiti Post Used, Parents and Children

UNITED NATIONS, August 9 -- The cause or moving force behind the June 22 biting incident at the UN, Alan Doss the chief of the UN's Mission in the Congo, has responded to Inner City Press' request for comment on the eve of the court appearance of Nicola Baroncini, the biter whose job he helped take.

Responding to four questions which have remained unanswered by the UN for more than a week, Doss replied "In reference to your email, I can only say that UNDP is currently reviewing the matter. It would be premature therefore for me to make any public comments at this stage. I can confirm, however, that I transferred to DPKO on 1 July 2009."

Since UN Deputy Spokesperson Marie Okabe finally on August 7 answered Inner City Press' question of two weeks previous, and acknowledged that Rebecca Doss began with UNDP on July 1 -- thus had her application process and was offered the job before that, while her father was still at UNDP -- the violation of both the letter and spirit of anti-nepotism rules had been made clear on the eve of Baroncini's court appearance on August 10.

Meanwhile, a side character in Inner City Press' initial exclusive story provides another insight into nepotism and insider connections within the UN system. On July 30, Inner City Press reported that Violeta Maximova, who among with Ms. Doss was placed above Mr. Baroncini in the supposed competition for what he been his job, had been transferred from jobs for UNDP's Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacifici to a post with the an office of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, so recently in the news from North Korea (in Asia and the Pacific).

It has since emerged that is Clinton's UN office, that through which he will do work in Haiti. The position it seems is paid by the UN Secretariat, but administered by UNDP. Meanwhile Ms. Maximova's mother, who has been a UNDP staff member, still has a UNDP telephone extension in her name.

Nicola Baroncini, Rebecca Doss not shown

A UNDP spokesman argues that this is just a holdover, that Ms. Maximova left the agenda some time ago. But to some, it follows the structure of the Dosses' July 1 pas de deux: Alan Doss transferring to DPKO the same day his daughter started in a purloined job she had been offered while her father was still with UNDP.

Also in the run-up to Baroncini's August 10 court date, newspapers in Italy and London have belatedly picked up on the story. Quotidiano.Net, without any mention of what came before, focuses on Baroncini's two year old child. For some reason it does not detail how many Italian diplomats were made aware of the abuse of their national, Baroncini, and yet did nothing. Last week Inner City Press asked the spokesman for Italy's Mission to the UN about Baroncini's case, but still without any answer.

The Times of London, going to press as this updated is uploaded, has tried to track down Rebecca Doss. There is a picture from Nepal; some say she is the blond girl in the sari at the right. There are Facebook pictures, notations in Model UN web pages. But Baroncini says that Ms. Doss, 29, has had no experience in the UN at all, and got a job with an NGO in the Congo, presumptively with her daddy's help. She did not respond to an email sent to what should be her address at UNDP. Watch this site.