LONDON: The UN Development Programmeme has started investigating into corruption allegations leveled against staff working as part of its $1.5 billion Iraq reconstruction programmeme, western media reported on Monday.
The Guardian said that a six-page document was sent to UNDP donors on January 25 after some of them expressed concerns following the revelations.
It did not mention on what action had been taken, and claimed that UNDP staff were involved in only four cases, with the rest involving third-party vendors and contractors.
A per the document the agency was committed to promote a culture and environment where all UNDP staff can report wrongdoing without any fear.
The government of Iraq has also launched a probe on the similar matter.
The British newspaper reported that more UNDP personnel have since approached it with accusations after the initial report.
It said that there is a documented evidence that there is a culture of fear across the organization’s Middle East operations.
One UNDP employ told the newspaper that they had informed the high officials about hundreds of thousands of dollars being channeled to an organization run by a government official.
Another UNDP employee in Iraq said after reporting complaints against a superior, the organization targeted the complainant instead.
Auke Lootsma, UNDP’s resident representative in Iraq, in an email last week to staff said that the newspaper’s revelations were very unfortunate, terming them unfair and unjust. She also asked recipients to refrain from making any comment.
A UNDP spokesperson told the media that accusations of threats made against employees were completely against the UNDP’s commitment to accountability, openness to scrutiny and integrity.
The spokesperson said the agency would welcome more details for independent channels to probe the matter further saying the UNDP had trained staff on rules around conflicts of interest, threats and retaliation.
