UNIDO rocked by Somalia corruption probe

 VIENNA – The head of the UNIDO Somalia investment team, Ygor Scarcia, has been suspended and placed under investigation on suspicion of allegedly pumping the UN agency’s money into fraudulent schemes in Somalia, UNIDO sources say.

 Scarcia previously got rid of several staff he did not like by accusing them of “harassment,” and the investigation office in UNIDO used to simply rubber-stamp these allegations so the staff member was fired, but the tables have been turned on him.

He has now been suspended - which ordinarily involves being banished from UN premises - but it appears that he had the Italian Ambassador to the UN agencies in Vienna tried to intercede with the UNIDO Director-General to allow him to carry on with his “important” work.

 Scarcia’s run of good luck ended when a staff member he tried to have fired fought back with very strong evidence of corruption.

The German press have got the story and the word is that they are waiting for after the biannual meeting of member states, when Gert Muller is due to be re-appointed Director-General,  before disclosing full details of the affair.

 The scandal over Scarcia's alleged activities is sure to cast a shadow over the 21st of the UNIDO General Conference to be held from Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, UNIDO watchers say.

  In July the Philippines led calls for stronger oversight mechanisms during the 53rd Session of the Industrial Development Board (IDB) of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

 Ambassador and Permanent Representative Evangelina Lourdes A. Bernas noted the achievements of UNIDO in its technical cooperation delivery, but emphasized the importance of upholding transparency and accountability at all times as UNIDO exercises its mandate and implements the audit recommendations of oversight bodies such as the Office of the Evaluation and Internal Oversight (EIO), the Independent Oversight Advisory Committee (OAC) and the External Auditor.

 Among the audit findings, Ambassador Bernas highlighted the lack of equitable geographic representation in staffing, the proliferation of hired consultants, and incomplete implementation of Host Country Agreements, including the one for the Philippines.

 She also echoed OAC’s concerns regarding low staff morale and stressed the need to ensure that “voicing concerns–including allegations of misconduct and impropriety–are encouraged and investigated objectively and independently.”