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A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 18 January 2019
UN health chief orders probe into misconduct

By MARIA CHENG The author of the anony-
Associated Press mous WHO emails also
LONDON (AP) — The head charged there were
of the World Health Orga- "crooked recruitment and
nization has ordered an selection" processes that
internal investigation into were "tantamount to fraud,
allegations the U.N. health corruption and abuse of
agency is rife with racism, authority."
sexism and corruption, af- In the latest anonymous
ter a series of anonymous message, the author sin-
emails with the explosive gled out the supposedly
charges were sent to top flawed hiring process of
managers last year. a senior director in WHO's
Three emails addressed to emergencies department,
WHO directors — and ob- suggesting that might
tained by the Associated have led to mistakes being
Press — complained about made by incompetent of-
"systematic racial discrimi- ficials involved in efforts to
nation" against African stop Ebola in Congo.
staffers and alleged other Some staffers feared that
instances of wrongdoing, funds donated to stem the
including claims that some spread of the deadly virus
of the money intended to "have not been used ju-
fight Ebola in Congo was In this Tuesday Aug. 14, 2018 file photo, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the diciously," the email said,
misspent. World Health Organization (WHO), speaks during a press conference at the European headquar- warning such blunders
Last month, WHO Director- ters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland could undermine WHO's
General Tedros Adhanom Associated Press credibility.
Ghebreyesus told staff- "A plane was hired to trans-
ers he had instructed the lished said the agency was chief. es "have all my support" port three vehicles from
head of WHO's office of "aware" of such allegations However, critics doubt that and that he would provide the warehouse in Dubai at
internal oversight to look and has "zero tolerance WHO can effectively in- more resources if neces- the cost of $1 million. Why
into the charges raised by for misconduct or discrimi- vestigate itself and have sary. would WHO ship vehicles
the emails. He confirmed nation of any kind." The called for the probe to be "To those that are giving us from Dubai? We would
that directive to the AP on statement said Tedros has made public. feedback, thank you," he appreciate the rationale
Thursday. "championed openness, The first email, which was told a meeting of WHO's when jeeps in DRC (Con-
A WHO statement issued transparency and diversity" sent last April, claimed country representatives in go) can be purchased at
after the AP story was pub- since he became WHO's there was "systematic ra- Nairobi last month. $80,000 per vehicle," the
cial discrimination against "We will do everything email said, claiming that
Africans at WHO" and that to correct (it) if there are "corruption stories about lo-
African staffers were being problems." gisticians and procurement
"abused, sworn at (and) But Tedros refuted claims in WHO's (Geneva emer-
shown contempt to" by that WHO's hiring policies gencies department) are
their Geneva-based col- are skewed, arguing that legendary."
leagues. his top management team Sarah Russell, a WHO
Two further emails ad- was more geographically spokeswoman, said WHO
dressed to WHO directors diverse and gender-bal- shipped 10 vehicles out of
complained that senior anced than any other U.N. Dubai last May because
officials were "attempting organization after adopt- there were no vehicles
to stifle" investigations into ing measures to be more available for sale in Congo
such problems and also inclusive. that met minimum safety
alleged other instances "There is change already standards at the time. She
of wrongdoing, including happening," he said during said it cost $237,801 to
allegedly misspent Ebola the December staff meet- transport them.
funds. ing, according to an audio David Webb, director of
The last email, sent in De- recording provided to the WHO's office of internal
cember, labeled the be- AP. oversight, told staffers that
havior of a senior doctor WHO's in-house investiga- Tedros had asked him "to
helping to lead the re- tion into misconduct comes conduct an appropriate
sponse against Ebola as after other U.N. agencies investigation" into the is-
"unacceptable, unprofes- have been rocked by ha- sues raised in the emails.
sional and racist," citing a rassment complaints. Webb said he and his team
November incident at a At UNAIDS, chief Michel would scrutinize those ac-
meeting where the doc- Sidibe agreed to step cusations, in addition to the
tor reportedly "humiliated, down after an indepen- approximately 150 other
disgraced and belittled" a dent report concluded in claims that have been
subordinate from the Mid- December that his "defec- reported to his office this
dle East. tive leadership" had creat- year.
Tedros — a former health ed a toxic working environ- "My team is trying their best
minister of Ethiopia and ment, with staffers asserting to go to DRC (Congo), to
WHO's first African director- there was rampant sexual go to where the allegations
general — said investiga- harassment, bullying and are with an effort to find
tors looking into the charg- abuse of power. the facts," he said.q