Mogens Lykketoft, president of the UN General Assembly
Mogens Lykketoft, the U.N. General Assembly’s current president, told reporters Tuesday that member states would decide whether to create more transparency for the world body.
“Corruption has no place in the United Nations or anywhere else,” he said.
Prosecutors said two other arrested individuals were involved with Ng. They were identified as Sheri Yan, 57, and Heidi Park, 52, both naturalized U.S. citizens who reside in China and helped facilitate the scheme, prosecutors said. Both were ordered held without bail. Their lawyers did not comment outside court.
The United Nations has known for years that the office of the General Assembly president had transparency issues.
A U.N. internal audit warned in 2010 that some General Assembly presidents had supplemented their office’s budgets with “direct agreements” with member states and that the presidents were not required to report that money. It gave no details.
“The lack of transparency concerning such funds may pose a reputational risk for the organization,” the audit said.
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