ROME - Controversial FAO CIO division chief Florentin "Dracula" Albu has bowed out of the UN agency after apparently agreeing to reject an extension of his contract, FAO sources said.

 Roumanian Albu presided over a series of vicious staff cuts in the IT division to enable FAO Director General José Graziano da Silva to meet budget requirements imposed by Western donors to the food agency. The appointment of baby-faced Albu, who did not have a post-graduate degree or knowledge of a second UN language, to the dlrs 25,000 a month plus perks post caused consternation in FAO circles and was widely believed to have been a quid pro quo with the Bucharest government in return for Roumania voting for the election of Graziano.

 The formula whereby Albu allegedly agreed to reject an extension of his contract evidently was designed to allow his designated successor to be appointed without the agency being obliged to advertise the D2 job.

Chilean Samuel Varas, an associate of Graziano, was hired in March as D1 interim IT chief operating officer at the agency, bypassing normal UN procedure

"The ‘ad-interim’ is the loophole," an FAO source said then. "It will also allow Varas to assume Albu’s role once Albu goes in August when his contract expires."

"An interesting footnote is also that Albu was hired at a D-2 post even though he lacks a graduate degree, knowledge of any second official UN language or experience commensurate to his job."

"How was Varas hired? Why was not this job announced and subjected to competitive award in accordance to UN rules?" the source asked.

Albu recently denounced Italian Insider to Italian authorities for alleged defamation, a move that has not prevented reporting his exit from the food agency.

 Albu's departure was sure to be discussed at the U.S. Ambassador to the FAO's 4th July party Friday, a traditional venue for top people from UN circles in Rome which this year coincides with the month of Ramadan.

  The U.S. Ambassador to the FAO caused a furore last year when he told a class of students at the American University of Rome that the FAO is the "poster child of UN corruption."