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The United Nations is investigating with officials of the United Nations Office in Sanaa and one of them (a senior leader of the Islah party, branch of the International Organization of Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen) and the other (an office worker). United Nations in Sanaa and working with the Huthis) for bribery, Kosher drugs, medical equipment and other operations, including complicity in smuggling Huthi officials and exploiting their positions to give to their local institutions an illegal partnership.
The investigations were conducted by the United Nations with a reformist leader and Houthi leaders, in the light of the integration of efforts and joint action of Houthi groups and Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen, during which both groups took control of the relief efforts and looted large sums of money without touching the beneficiaries.
The United Nations is conducting investigations into corruption scandals of officials from its Yemeni office, led by a senior Yemeni reformist leader and a Yemeni employee from Sanaa, as well as by ten other staff members led by Navio Zagaria, from the United States. Agency from 2016 to September 2018.
The survey report indicated that the main idea of the survey was that the financial auditors of the World Health Organization were conducting a survey of unskilled people appointed to well-paying positions and that millions of dollars had been deposited in the personal bank accounts of the organization's personnel, in addition to the approval of suspicious contracts without the availability of proper paper documents and the disappearance of tons of donated drugs and fuel by parties outside Yemen.
This is the only statement of investigation contained in a 37-page sentence contained in the annual report of the internal auditor for 2018 on global activities.
The documents indicate that local institutions (referring to Islah Party institutions) have committed themselves to providing services to the World Health Organization (WHO) Aden Office, later discovered to have used friends and relatives of staff of the World Health Organization (WHO) and overburdened services. The owner of one of these companies was seen handing money to an office worker, according to the documents (an obvious bribe).
The agency received the name of Omar Zain (a major reference of the Islah party – the branch of the International Organization of Muslim Brotherhood in Yemen) and the head of Aden's office of the Agency, which operates under the direction of Zagaria, hundreds of thousands of dollars of aid funds for his own account, According to interviews with officials and internal documents. Zain, however, was not able to explain what happened with more than half of the money, according to internal documents.
As part of the investigation, four people directly familiar with relief operations in southern Yemen said that Zain was also an official advisor to the Yemeni government's health minister, based in Aden, and head of a targeted organization. non-profit having signed a contract (worth $ 1.3 million) with the United Nations. Manage nutrition programs in the city of Mukalla. These arrangements created a conflict of interest.
UNICEF subsequently refused to renew the contract with the Zain nonprofit organization after it was discovered that the organization was in the process of consulting information and n & # 39; It was not really present on the ground in Mukalla, two informed sources said.
When AB contacted him, Zein declined to comment and said that he had resigned from his position at the Ministry of Health. When asked about knowing he was under investigation for bribery, he replied, "Anyone who has revealed this information to you could answer that question."
In another context, Tamimah al-Ghuli, a WHO employee among the most dangerous Houthis, said investigators were traveling with laptops. They said they created pay lists and salaries, added fake names, collected wages for themselves, and received bribes to hire staff. Her husband is a prominent member of the Houthi group.
Called Amuleh al-Ghuli, one of the most dangerous Houthis, she said investigators travel with their laptop. They said they created pay lists and salaries, added fake names, collected wages for themselves, and received bribes to hire staff. Her husband is a prominent member of the Houthi group.
Al-Ghouli has since been suspended, but remains a staff member of the World Health Organization, according to a person with direct knowledge of the incident. Al-Ghouli did not respond to AB's attempts to communicate with her.
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The full report on the Middle East
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – UN investigators have questioned UN officials over "corruption disasters" and have accused aid workers of joining the fighting against Huthi, threatening the country's neutrality. 39, humanitarian relief organizations raise billions of dollars.
The story begins with a dramatic scene in October 2018, when UN investigators gathered in the Departures Hall at Sana'a Airport and prepared to depart with a very important guide : a collection of laptops and external drives gathered from the staff of the WHO.
Investigators estimated that these computers contained evidence of corruption and fraud within the UN Office in Yemen. But before boarding the plane, heavily armed Houthi militia men, who control areas of northern Yemen, stormed the airport terminal and confiscated computers. , according to six US aid officials and current US agency, abbreviated as AB. At first glance, these investigators were amazed by the situation. They were unhurt, but they traveled without proof.
The six officials said the huthie militias had been informed by a World Health Organization (WHO) employee linked to the rebel group that they feared that the money would be diverted from the company. 39; aid. Officials refused to reveal their identities as the issue of computer seizure had not been made public.
This scene is another episode of the ongoing anti-corruption struggle, which deprives Yemenis who need food, medicine and the money they were given during the civil war in the country five years ago.
There are accusations of 12 UN humanitarian workers sent to face the humanitarian crisis created by the war by joining fighters from different parts to enrich billions of dollars in aid, say people familiar with ongoing internal investigations at the United Nations and confidential documents. Seen by the agency.
ABC also announced that it had obtained investigation documents and interviewed eight aid workers and former government officials. The main idea revolves around the fact that financial auditors from the World Health Organization are investigating allegations that unskilled people have been appointed to high-paying jobs, that millions of dollars were deposited in personal bank accounts belonging to FAO staff and suspicious contracts were approved without appropriate paper documents. And the disappearance of tons of medicine and fuel donated by foreigners in Yemen.
UNICEF also investigated Yemen by another UN agency, UNICEF, which allowed a Houthi leader to travel in agency-owned cars, shielding him from possible attacks by the government-led coalition. Saudi Arabia. People who spoke to ABC about the investigations refused to reveal their identity for fear of reprisals.
Yemeni activists say the actions of UN agencies are welcome, but do not respond to the investigations needed to find millions of dollars in supplies and funds from relief programs that have disappeared or been diverted to the coffers of local officials.
In the past three months, activists have called for transparency of aid in the context of an online campaign entitled "Where is the money?". They also asked the United Nations and international agencies to report on the distribution of hundreds of millions of dollars to Yemen. Since 2015. Last year, the agency announced that international donors had pledged $ 2 billion for humanitarian efforts in Yemen.
The United Nations responded by launching an online campaign called "Check Results", which revealed the programs implemented in Yemen. The campaign did not develop financial reports on how the relief funds were spent.
The survey of the World Health Organization (WHO) office in Yemen began in November with allegations of financial mismanagement from Nivio Zagaria, an Italian doctor who ran the office of the 39, agency in Sanaa from 2016 to September 2018, Three people have direct knowledge of the survey.
The only announcement of an investigation into a buried sentence was in the 37-page IRI 2018 Global Activity Report. The report does not mention Zagaria specifically.
Unsatisfactory controls
The report, published on May 1, indicated that Yemen's financial and administrative controls were "unsatisfactory" – the lowest rating – and noted that there were irregularities in the hiring procedures, non-competitive transactions and a lack of control over procurement procedures.
For its part, the spokesman of the World Health Organization, Tariq Jasarvic, an investigation is underway. He added that Zagharia had retired in September 2018, but had neither confirmed nor denied whether Zagharia was under investigation, according to a survey released by the US agency. "The Office of Internal Oversight Services is currently studying all the issues raised." We must respect the confidentiality of this process and we can not go into the details of specific issues. "
For its part, Zagaria did not answer the questions sent by "AB" by email.
Zagaria has worked for the World Health Organization for 20 years and arrived in Yemen in December 2016 after working for four years in the Philippines.
Zagharia was widely recognized for managing the organization's response to Hurricane Hayan in November 2013. His efforts to deal with the aftermath of the hurricane seemed to be the ideal person to lead the efforts of the Organization in Yemen, which is witnessing a large-scale humanitarian operation, providing support to more than 1,700 hospitals and centers. Healthy across the country.
However, the six former and current officials mentioned above have pointed out that from the beginning, the Yemeni office under Zagharia's leadership was plagued by corruption and nepotism.
Zagaria recruited two young workers who worked with him in the Philippines and ordered them to be promoted to high-paying jobs that they were not eligible for, according to three people. Two of them, including a student at the University of the Philippines and a former intern, were appointed to positions of responsibility, while their only role was to sponsor a dog in Zagharia, two officials said. A former aid official said that "inefficient and highly paid employees have compromised the quality of work". According to internal documents seen by AB, Zagaria allegedly accepted dubious contracts signed by the office staff without a tender call procedure or documentation of the disbursement procedures of the funds.
The documents indicate that local companies outsourced to provide services to the WHO office in Aden, who were then hired to engage friends and relatives of WHO staff and charged excessive fees for services provided. The owner of one of these companies was seen handing money to an office worker, according to the documents (an obvious bribe).
Four people familiar with the activities of the office said that a WHO employee, Tamimah al-Ghuli, one of the most dangerous Huthi, said that the investigators were traveling with laptops. They said they created payrolls and salaries, added fake names, collected salaries and collected bribes to hire people. Among their names on the payroll is her husband, a prominent member of the huthi group.
Since then, she has been suspended from work but remains an employee of the World Health Organization, according to a person with direct knowledge of the incident. Al-Ghouli did not respond to AB's attempts to communicate with her.
Money transfers
Under Zagaria's leadership, aid funds supposed to be spent during the emergency periods were used, with little or no responsibility or control, according to internal documents.
According to the rules of the World Health Organization (WHO), aid funds can be transferred directly to staff accounts, a measure intended to speed up the process of purchasing goods and services. crisis services. The World Health Organization said this measure was necessary to maintain operations in remote areas because the banking sector in Yemen was not fully operational.
Since these procedures are limited to the unforeseen, it is not necessary to specify the conditions of expenditure for these direct transfers. Zagaria has approved transfers of one million dollars in direct funds to specific employees, according to internal documents. In many cases, however, the way the money was spent is not clear.
According to interviews with officials and internal documents, Omar Zain, head of the agency's office in Aden under the direction of Zagaria, has received hundreds of thousands of dollars in aid. Zain, however, was not able to explain what happened with more than half of the money, according to internal documents.
Four people directly familiar with relief operations in southern Yemen said that Mr. Zain was also an official advisor to the Yemeni government's health minister based in Aden and that he ran a non-profit organization that signed a $ 1.3 million contract with the United Nations to manage nutrition programs in the country. City of Mukalla. These arrangements created a conflict of interest, according to the four people.
UNICEF subsequently refused to renew the contract with Zain, a nonprofit organization, after discovering that the organization was falsifying the information and was not physically present in the field in Mukalla, two sources said.
When AB continued with him, Zain declined to comment and said that he had resigned from the Ministry of Health. When asked about knowing he was under investigation for bribery, he replied, "Anyone who has revealed this information to you could answer that question."
The World Health Organization (WHO) is not the only UN agency to take into account the allegations of abuse committed by its employees in Yemen. According to three sources close to the investigations, UNICEF is conducting an investigation with Kharam Javed, a Pakistani suspected of allowing a senior Houthi official to use a vehicle from the agency. This would have effectively protected the Houthi leader from air raids by the Saudi-led coalition and huthis, while UNICEF informed the coalition of its vehicle movements to ensure the safety of its personnel. Officials have expressed concern that UNRWA vehicles will be struck by air strikes if coalition forces believe the Huthis were using them. Javid was known for his close ties with huthis security services and was proud to use his contacts to prevent UNICEF financial visitors from entering the country, said a former humanitarian officer. The Houthis have also posted a large billboard carrying a photo in a Sanaa street.
Javed could not be reached for comment. UNICEF officials said that as part of the ongoing investigation, a team of investigators went to Yemen to review the charges, claiming that Jawid had been transferred to another office, without revealing its location.
According to many people with whom AB spoke, close relations between UN officials and local officials on both sides of the conflict are common.
According to a UN committee report on Yemen, the Huthi authorities are constantly pressuring aid agencies, forcing them to appoint loyalists and fearing the elimination of gains to control their movements and their projects.
Officials said it was difficult to know how many workers could help the fighters. Several incidents in recent years indicate that UN staff members may have been involved in the theft of aid in Yemen, officials said.
According to UN reports from 2016 and 2017, of which AB obtained a copy, several incidents resulted in the removal of trucks carrying medical supplies by Houthi rebels in Taiz province. The aid was then distributed to Houthi fighters on the front fighting the Saudi-led coalition or sold inside rebel-controlled areas.
One official said the UN's inability or reluctance to tackle alleged corruption in its relief programs was hampering the organization's efforts to help Yemenis affected by the war. "This is a scandal for any agency and undermines the neutrality of the United Nations," he said.
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