Guilty plea in UN bribery scandal

Washington Post:

A businessman representing an Indian state-owned company pleaded guilty to bribing a former senior U.N. official with an unspecified amount of cash, a cellphone and a discounted Manhattan apartment in exchange for more than $50 million worth of business contracts, federal authorities announced Thursday.

Michael Garcia, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement that Nishan Kohli, 30, admitted making the illicit payments to Sanjay Bahel, then a high-ranking U.N. purchasing official, as compensation for steering business to Kohli from 1998 to 2003. Kohli faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. Bahel last month pleaded not guilty to related charges.

...

Federal authorities contend that Kohli rewarded Bahel for his support by renting him a luxury apartment at a steep discount and then later sold it to him for well below its market value.

Bahel was indicted in November on charges he provided insider information on confidential U.N. contract negotiations to two companies, including the Indian state company, Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. Garcia's statement asserts that Kohli provided Bahel with a cellphone so they could communicate about their scheme in secret.

...
The UN has become a very corrupt organization under the Annan administration. While this event involved millions of dollars it is a drop in the bucket next to the oil for food scam with Saddam.

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