NEWS
House Foreign Affairs Committee
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Ranking Republican
CONTACT: Sam Stratman, (202) 226-7875, April 4,
2007
Lee Cohen, (202)
226-1139
For IMMEDIATE
Release
Nine House Members Seek GAO Audit of UN Agency
Ros-Lehtinen, and foreign affairs committee
members
want review of malfeasance at World Meteorological Organization
(
In April 2005,
an internal audit report concluded that millions of dollars in funds were
embezzled from the Geneva-based World Meteorological Organization (WMO),
beginning as early as 1999.
In late 2006,
the former chief auditor responsible for the report, Maria Veiga,
was reportedly dismissed by WMO. She has alleged that she was precluded from
fully pursuing her investigation, that she was pressured to cover up facts
regarding involvement by other WMO personnel in the irregularities, and that
there is a possibility that fraudulent schemes persist.
The 2005 audit
accuses Sudanese national and former WMO official Muhammad Hassan,
with the help of other WMO personnel, of misappropriating more than $3 million
from the WMO.
The
The GAO request
was initiated by U.S. Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Christopher H. Smith
(R-NJ), Dan Burton (R-IN), Elton Gallegly (R-CA), Edward R. Royce (R-CA), Steve
Chabot (R-OH), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Ted Poe (R-TX) and Bob Inglis
(R-SC). All are Members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on which
Ros-Lehtinen serves as the Ranking Republican.
The 2005 report
concludes that embezzled funds were misused to exert improper political
influence within the Organization, as part of a money-for-votes scheme that
stretched back at least as far as 1999.
Stolen funds were “used to pay for travel, accommodation and pocket
money of [Permanent Representatives] and Delegates of certain countries” who
“would then vote and act according to Mr. Hassan’s
and other WMO staff members’ instructions.”
In addition, stolen funds were misused “to pay the minimum contributions
of some countries to allow them to recover voting rights.”
In the letter
to GAO, the Members want an examination of: whether
Text of the
Letter to David Walker, Comptroller-General of the
The United States of America is a member state and
the leading financial supporter of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO),
a specialized agency of the United Nations which serves as an authority on the
state of the Earth’s atmosphere and climate.
The
Significant
malfeasance was detailed in an official WMO Internal Audit Investigation Report
dated April 29, 2005 (the “Report”). The
Report states that a Sudanese national and former WMO official named Muhammad Hassan, with the help of other WMO personnel,
misappropriated more than three million dollars from the WMO. Mr. Hassan fled
shortly before authorities moved to arrest him, after phone contact with
certain WMO officials.
The Report
describes that, in addition to enriching Mr. Hassan,
the embezzled funds were misused to exert improper political influence within
the Organization, as part of a money-for-votes scheme that stretched back at
least as far as 1999. Stolen funds were
“used to pay for travel, accommodation and pocket money of [Permanent
Representatives] and Delegates of certain countries” who “would then vote and
act according to Mr. Hassan’s and other WMO staff
members’ instructions.” In addition,
stolen funds were misused “to pay the minimum contributions of some countries
to allow them to recover voting rights.”
The former
chief auditor responsible for the Report, Ms. Maria Veiga,
was reportedly dismissed by WMO in late 2006.
She has alleged that she was precluded from fully pursuing her
investigation, was pressured to cover up facts regarding involvement by other
WMO personnel in irregularities, and that “[t]here is a real possibility that
the…fraudulent schemes persist.”
The
purpose of this letter is to request the Government Accountability Office to
examine and report on: (1) whether U.S. contributions to the WMO have been
misappropriated or misused for the personal gain of WMO personnel, to recover
the voting rights of other countries, to influence the outcome of WMO
elections, or for any other illicit purpose; (2) the adequacy and veracity of
the investigation and Report regarding the fraudulent misappropriation of WMO
funds; (3) the adequacy of the investigation into alleged irregularities
relating to the 2003 election of senior WMO officers, including the current
Secretary-General; (4) the extent to which the WMO has disciplined, fired, or
waived immunity from prosecution for personnel who were complicit in the
malfeasance detailed in the Report, or culpably lax in its prevention; and (5)
the adequacy of current WMO oversight mechanisms and activities.
Your
acceptance of this request will greatly support the efforts of Members of the
Committee on Foreign Affairs in conducting oversight over United States
participation in the United Nations system, and assessing current and future
requests for United States funding of the World Meteorological Organization.
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