Ban ‘shocked’ by UN ex-official bribery case

The UN chief has expressed shock at the allegations that John Ashe, the former president of the General Assembly, was involved in bribery while serving in the world body.

"The secretary-general was shocked and deeply troubled to learn this morning of the allegations against John Ashe… which go to the heart of the integrity of the United Nations," said a statement from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric on Tuesday.

Ashe, a former envoy to the UN from Antigua and Barbuda, held the post from September 2013 to September 2014.

He is now accused of accepting USD 1.3 million in bribes from Chinese businessman Ng Lap Seng, partially in exchange for lobbying for a real estate project in Macau.

Ashe in turn submitted a request to Ban that "claimed there was a purported need to build the UN Macau Conference Center."

The letter was later used by Ng and others to encourage the construction of the center.

"Corruption is not business as usual at the UN," Dujarric said, adding that UN officials were informed of the charges in media reports on Tuesday.

He voiced the UN Secretariat’s readiness to cooperate with US officials, noting that UN officials have not found the letter, which was not listed in Ban's log of official correspondence.

The president of the General Assembly does not report to the UN chief and is totally independent in functions, the spokesman added.

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