UNDP Cleared of smuggling diamonds, but . . .

Towards the end of 2005 I was contacted and subsequently met with a rather odd individual who accounted a number of very strange stories regarding his experiences with UNDP. This person did not reveal his identity and when asked if he had any documentation or could provide anybody to corroborate his allegations, claimed that he did have such things but would not share it, since this is all “death sentence sort of stuff.”

It also transpired that he was not concerned with the illegality of what he was doing but rather with the fact that he was not earning the percentages that he thought to be entitled to.

“Every time I complained I was given $5 000.00 and told not to make waves.”

He seemed to believe that since I had authored a book on UNDP corruption that I may have some influence in getting people like him get paid more reasonably.

“It is regular UNDP staff that benefit the most, rather than the people who take the risks.”

His stories revolved around gold and diamond smuggling, arms deals, interference in the democratic processes within countries, amongst other things.

He was either deluded, or a somewhat naïve small time hood, caught up in processes that he did not fully understand. The thing that gave his account some credibility was the fact that in order to have made these things up would have required some degree of competence and understanding of the relevant issues. This person did not display such a capacity.

He accepted the notion of Africa as a continent that could and should be exploited by any means as a given fact.

He mentioned a number of African countries where he worked. Zimbabwe was one of them.

It was with this individual in mind that I started following allegations of UNDP involvement in diamond smuggling in Zimbabwe that broke in 2007.

The last item that appeared was this article:
Zimbabwe: River Ranch Cleared of Smuggling But . . .
Financial Gazette (Harare)
22 November 2007
Posted to the web 22 November 2007
Clemence Manyukwe
Harare
THE Kimberly Process (KP) has released a long awaited report exonerating River Ranch mine in Beitbridge, against which allegations of diamond smuggling had been levelled, of any wrongdoing.
But the report, which says no evidence was found to support the allegations, has fuelled further controversy.
A seven-member team that probed allegations that vehicles registered under the Zimbabwean office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had been used to smuggle diamonds from River Ranch prepared the report, presented to Cabinet on Tuesday.
Bubye Minerals, which is locked in an acrimonious ownership wrangle with River Ranch Limited, was among those accusing it of smuggling.
In exonerating River Ranch and the UNDP, the report quotes Bubye Minerals lawyer Terrence Hussein as telling the investigating team that there was no smuggling of diamonds.
However, Hussein disputes this.
The report says: "The lawyer acting on behalf of Bubye Minerals later denied having said that a UNDP vehicle was ever involved. The UNDP representative believes that no employees of the organisation were ever involved in diamond smuggling. The allegations referred to have furthermore never been substantiated by the sources, neither have they been substantiated by any other available information."
In a letter addressed to KP chairperson Karel Kovander, Hussein said the investigating team refused to meet either him or his clients for purposes of receiving proof of the alleged smuggling and statements in the report to the effect that he had said no smuggling was taking place surprised him.
In June, Sergei Oulin, who headed the team, said he did not meet Bubye Minerals officials or Hussein because that would have been extending his activities beyond his mandate.
"At no time and in no manner have I ever denied that the UN vehicles were involved at River Ranch diamond mine . . . I request as a matter of urgency that you delete the false representation that is attributed to me as regards the UN vehicles and/or afford the readers of your report the benefit of my side of the story," Hussein told Kovander.
In addition, he had complained to United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon about the conduct of UNDP resident representative in Zimbabwe, Augustino Zacharias.
Adel Farquhar, a Bubye Minerals director, has also written to Kovander, calling on him to resign after complaining about the false impression given by the report that she and other officials at her company had denied that there was smuggling at River Ranch.
She wondered why the KP could say there was no smuggling after only hearing evidence from those accused of misconduct -- the UNDP and River Ranch Limited -- without getting Bubye Minerals' side of the story Farquhar said besides refusing to meet Bubye Minerals, the probe team did not a visit the Central Vehicle Registry where it would have accessed proof that UNDP vehicles were involved in the racket.

It appears that we are dealing here with just one more cover-up. Is it part of something larger? More information will follow.