By Judith Miller The New York Times
FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2005
Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, said Wednesday that Annan had dismissed Joseph Stephanides, the head of the Security Council Affairs Division, "in accordance with United Nations staff regulations" and after a "thorough review of all aspects of the case." The dismissal took effect immediately, Dujarric said. In a telephone interview on Wednesday, Stephanides, a 59-year-old Cypriot who had worked for the United Nations for 25 years and who had been scheduled to retire in September, denied any wrongdoing and said he was "very upset and disappointed" by Annan's decision. He said he had retained a lawyer to appeal his dismissal through the UN system. Dismissals of UN staff members are rare. Since taking the top post in 1997, Annan has dismissed 40, including Stephanides. Stephanides was suspended four months ago after a panel appointed by Annan to investigate accusations of corruption and misconduct in the $64 billion oil-for-food program criticized Stephanides in its first interim report, accusing him of helping to steer an inspection contract to a British company. The panel, the Independent Inquiry Committee, is led by Paul Volcker, a former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve. The report said that Stephanides had violated UN procurement rules by taking actions that "prejudiced and pre-empted" competitive bidding for the contract. Under the program, Saddam Hussein's government was permitted to sell oil to buy food and other civilian goods to alleviate the effect on the Iraqi people of sanctions imposed by the United Nations in 1990 after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. Specifically, the report accused Stephanides, then the chief of the sanctions branch of the department of political affairs, of having "tainted" the bidding process by promoting the selection of Lloyd's Register Inspection to inspect the goods bought by Iraq, though it was not the lowest bidder. The panel did not suggest that Stephanides had personally benefited and also quoted Stephanides as saying he felt he was acting in the United Nations' best interests The panel leveled stronger criticism at a more senior official, Benon Sevan, the former director of the program, accusing him of having requested and received Iraqi oil allocations for a friend's company. Though suspended, Sevan has retained diplomatic immunity and is being paid $1 a day to encourage continued cooperation with the Volcker inquiry, UN officials said. In an interview, Stephanides asserted that his dismissal had been unwarranted and improper. He said he had learned of it in a fax sent to his home on Tuesday night. George Irving, his attorney, said Stephanides had not been permitted to present his response to the Volcker panel's criticisms at an administrative hearing and contended that this was a violation of UN rules. The UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, has dismissed a senior staff member for "serious misconduct" in the scandal involving the oil-for-food program for Iraq, a spokesman said. It was the first dismissal in the investigation of the program.Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman, said Wednesday that Annan had dismissed Joseph Stephanides, the head of the Security Council Affairs Division, "in accordance with United Nations staff regulations" and after a "thorough review of all aspects of the case." The dismissal took effect immediately, Dujarric said.In a telephone interview on Wednesday, Stephanides, a 59-year-old Cypriot who had worked for the United Nations for 25 years and who had been scheduled to retire in September, denied any wrongdoing and said he was "very upset and disappointed" by Annan's decision. He said he had retained a lawyer to appeal his dismissal through the UN system.Dismissals of UN staff members are rare. Since taking the top post in 1997, Annan has dismissed 40, including Stephanides.Stephanides was suspended four months ago after a panel appointed by Annan to investigate accusations of corruption and misconduct in the $64 billion oil-for-food program criticized Stephanides in its first interim report, accusing him of helping to steer an inspection contract to a British company. The panel, the Independent Inquiry Committee, is led by Paul Volcker, a former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve.The report said that Stephanides had violated UN procurement rules by taking actions that "prejudiced and pre-empted" competitive bidding for the contract.Under the program, Saddam Hussein's government was permitted to sell oil to buy food and other civilian goods to alleviate the effect on the Iraqi people of sanctions imposed by the United Nations in 1990 after Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.Specifically, the report accused Stephanides, then the chief of the sanctions branch of the department of political affairs, of having "tainted" the bidding process by promoting the selection of Lloyd's Register Inspection to inspect the goods bought by Iraq, though it was not the lowest bidder.The panel did not suggest that Stephanides had personally benefited and also quoted Stephanides as saying he felt he was acting in the United Nations' best interestsThe panel leveled stronger criticism at a more senior official, Benon Sevan, the former director of the program, accusing him of having requested and received Iraqi oil allocations for a friend's company.Though suspended, Sevan has retained diplomatic immunity and is being paid $1 a day to encourage continued cooperation with the Volcker inquiry, UN officials said.In an interview, Stephanides asserted that his dismissal had been unwarranted and improper. He said he had learned of it in a fax sent to his home on Tuesday night.George Irving, his attorney, said Stephanides had not been permitted to present his response to the Volcker panel's criticisms at an administrative hearing and contended that this was a violation of UN rules.
O secretário-geral das Nações Unidas Kofi Annan demitiu o senhor Joseph Stephanides por causa de seu suposto envolvimento com o escândalo petróleo-por-comida de ajuda ao Iraque. "Após uma profunda revisão de todos os aspectos do caso, o Secretário-Geral decidiu que o senhor Joseph Stephanides deverial sumariamente demitido por causa de má conduta em respeito aos regulamentos da equipe da ONU," relatou o porta-voz Stephane Dujarric. "O senhor Stephanides foi avisado ontem e desligou-se do serviço imediatamente. Não há nenhuma acusação de ato criminal. Esta é uma ação disciplinadora por procuração para uma infração de regras de pessoal."

As investigações concluiram que Stephanides infringiu os regulamentos ao ajudar a companhia britânica ''Lloyds Register Inspection Ltd''  a vencer um contrato do programa de ajuda da ONU para o Iraque.O senhor Stephanides trabalhava como chefe da Divisão de Assuntos do Conselho de Segurança quando ele supostamente contou à companhia o valor do preço que seria vencedor do contrato. Ele nega que tenha tido má conduta e contratou um advogado para defendê-lo. Stephanides tem 59 anos e trabalhou para as Nações Unidas durante 25 anos e iria se aposentar em setembro deste ano.

Após um primeiro relatório interino para o programa petróleo-por-comida liberado em fevereiro, o senhor Stephanides em companhia do senhor Benon Sevan foram suspensos. Sevan foi chefe do programa petróleo-por-comida durante 6 anos e também foi acusado de má conduta no relatório escrito por Paul Volcker, entre outros, da comissão de investigação. Medidas disciplinares contra Sevan não serão aplicadas porque ele tem imunidade diplomática.

Um relatório final está programado para ser publicado daqui a três meses. Ele poderia explicar melhor o caso e informar se o senhor Sevan recebeu contratos para petróleo iraquiano para uma companhia de um amigo. Por enquanto, ele permanece suspenso de todos os seus deveres nas Nações Unidas e está a receber somente o salário simbólico de 1 dólar por ano.

Uma questão central e que permanece sem resposta é se Stephanides ou Sevan lucraram diretamente com suas ações ao executar e implementar o programa petróleo-por-comida.