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TOKEN BLACK former UN president facing bribery, tax fraud charges (+video)
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White Cross
Oct 15, 2016, 4:30:50 AM10/15/16
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NEW YORK — A former president of the United Nations General
Assembly turned the world body into a "platform for profit" by
accepting over $1 million in bribes and a trip to New Orleans
from a billionaire Chinese real estate mogul and other business
people to pave the way for lucrative investments, a prosecutor
charged Tuesday.
John Ashe, a former United Nations ambassador from Antigua and
Barbuda who served in the largely ceremonial post as head of the
193-nation assembly from September 2013 to September 2014, faces
tax fraud charges in what authorities call a conspiracy with
five others, including Francis Lorenzo, a deputy UN ambassador
from the Dominican Republic who lives in the Bronx.
US Attorney Preet Bharara repeatedly noted that it was early in
the investigation and told reporters that as it proceeds: "We
will be asking: Is bribery business as usual at the UN?"
He added: "I wouldn't be surprised if we see other people
charged."
The prosecutor said Ashe "converted the United Nations into a
platform for profit" when bribery opportunities were dangled
before him by Chinese billionaire Ng Lap Seng, 67, and others.
"We obviously just learned of the very serious allegations this
morning," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon, told reporters. Dujarric said Ban was "shocked and
deeply troubled" by the allegations that "go to the heart and
integrity of the UN."
Still, he challenged Bharara's claims, saying, "Corruption is
not business as usual at the UN." He said the UN's legal
department and senior officials were not informed of the probe
in advance.
Dujarric noted that the president of the General Assembly "does
not report to the secretary-general and is completely
independent in functions."
Those charged in the criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday in
Manhattan federal court included Seng, who was arrested two
weeks ago along with his chief assistant, Jeff C. Yin, 29, a US
citizen whose bail was revoked last week over allegations he
lied to investigators after his arrest.
Lawyers for Ng, Yin and Lorenzo, 48, did not immediately respond
to requests for comment. It was not immediately clear who would
represent Ashe at an initial court appearance Tuesday. A message
for comment left at Lorenzo's mission was also not immediately
returned.
Diego Rodriguez, head of the FBI's New York office, said the
charges should be a warning "to those who come to the United
States from other countries with corruption plans or bags full
of cash."
According to court papers, the 61-year-old Ashe used his UN
positions to support a multibillion-dollar UN-sponsored
conference center that Ng hoped to build as his legacy in Macau,
where he lived, and to help Ng meet government officials from
Antigua. Prosecutors said the conference center would function
as a sort of satellite operation for the world body.
Dujarric said the UN had not found any documentation of the
claims involving Macau.
The scheme unfolded over the course of nearly three years, from
2011 through 2014, prosecutors said.
Ng and his assistant had been held by federal authorities on
charges they lied about plans for $4.5 million in cash brought
into the US over several years aboard private jets.
Prosecutors say some bribe money funded first-class airfare for
Ashe, his wife and two children to New Orleans, where they
stayed in an $850-a-night hotel room.
Other money, they said, was used to lease a luxury car, pay his
home mortgage, buy Rolex watches and custom suits, and construct
a $30,000 basketball court at his home in Dobbs Ferry, New York,
where he was arrested Tuesday. He opened two bank accounts to
receive the funds and then underreported his income by more than
$1.2 million, officials said.
No one answered a phone call to the mission for Antigua; Ashe is
no longer listed in the UN directory. A message left with a
representative for the General Assembly wasn't immediately
returned.
Prosecutors said two other arrested individuals were involved
with Ng. They were identified as Sheri Yan, 57, and Heidi Park,
52, both naturalized US citizens who reside in China and helped
facilitate the scheme, prosecutors said. It wasn't clear who was
representing them.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2015/1006/Former-UN-president-
facing-bribery-tax-fraud-charges-video
Assembly turned the world body into a "platform for profit" by
accepting over $1 million in bribes and a trip to New Orleans
from a billionaire Chinese real estate mogul and other business
people to pave the way for lucrative investments, a prosecutor
charged Tuesday.
John Ashe, a former United Nations ambassador from Antigua and
Barbuda who served in the largely ceremonial post as head of the
193-nation assembly from September 2013 to September 2014, faces
tax fraud charges in what authorities call a conspiracy with
five others, including Francis Lorenzo, a deputy UN ambassador
from the Dominican Republic who lives in the Bronx.
US Attorney Preet Bharara repeatedly noted that it was early in
the investigation and told reporters that as it proceeds: "We
will be asking: Is bribery business as usual at the UN?"
He added: "I wouldn't be surprised if we see other people
charged."
The prosecutor said Ashe "converted the United Nations into a
platform for profit" when bribery opportunities were dangled
before him by Chinese billionaire Ng Lap Seng, 67, and others.
"We obviously just learned of the very serious allegations this
morning," Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon, told reporters. Dujarric said Ban was "shocked and
deeply troubled" by the allegations that "go to the heart and
integrity of the UN."
Still, he challenged Bharara's claims, saying, "Corruption is
not business as usual at the UN." He said the UN's legal
department and senior officials were not informed of the probe
in advance.
Dujarric noted that the president of the General Assembly "does
not report to the secretary-general and is completely
independent in functions."
Those charged in the criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday in
Manhattan federal court included Seng, who was arrested two
weeks ago along with his chief assistant, Jeff C. Yin, 29, a US
citizen whose bail was revoked last week over allegations he
lied to investigators after his arrest.
Lawyers for Ng, Yin and Lorenzo, 48, did not immediately respond
to requests for comment. It was not immediately clear who would
represent Ashe at an initial court appearance Tuesday. A message
for comment left at Lorenzo's mission was also not immediately
returned.
Diego Rodriguez, head of the FBI's New York office, said the
charges should be a warning "to those who come to the United
States from other countries with corruption plans or bags full
of cash."
According to court papers, the 61-year-old Ashe used his UN
positions to support a multibillion-dollar UN-sponsored
conference center that Ng hoped to build as his legacy in Macau,
where he lived, and to help Ng meet government officials from
Antigua. Prosecutors said the conference center would function
as a sort of satellite operation for the world body.
Dujarric said the UN had not found any documentation of the
claims involving Macau.
The scheme unfolded over the course of nearly three years, from
2011 through 2014, prosecutors said.
Ng and his assistant had been held by federal authorities on
charges they lied about plans for $4.5 million in cash brought
into the US over several years aboard private jets.
Prosecutors say some bribe money funded first-class airfare for
Ashe, his wife and two children to New Orleans, where they
stayed in an $850-a-night hotel room.
Other money, they said, was used to lease a luxury car, pay his
home mortgage, buy Rolex watches and custom suits, and construct
a $30,000 basketball court at his home in Dobbs Ferry, New York,
where he was arrested Tuesday. He opened two bank accounts to
receive the funds and then underreported his income by more than
$1.2 million, officials said.
No one answered a phone call to the mission for Antigua; Ashe is
no longer listed in the UN directory. A message left with a
representative for the General Assembly wasn't immediately
returned.
Prosecutors said two other arrested individuals were involved
with Ng. They were identified as Sheri Yan, 57, and Heidi Park,
52, both naturalized US citizens who reside in China and helped
facilitate the scheme, prosecutors said. It wasn't clear who was
representing them.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2015/1006/Former-UN-president-
facing-bribery-tax-fraud-charges-video
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