Israel Matzav

UN refuses to disclose details of investigation into employee who posted incendiary false tweet

You will recall that in March 2012, a UN employee posted the photo above on her twitter account as if it had just happened, when in fact it happened in 2006.

Subsequently, at the urging of Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Ron Prosor, the UN opened an investigation into the tweet. In February, we were told that the employee had been 'de facto' fired.

Ambassador Prosor asked for details about the investigation and the 'firing' and the UN has now refused to give them.

In his letter last month, Prosor wrote that on March 13, 2012, he had written to Amos demanding Badawi’s firing, only to be told that OCHA had “begun an inquiry” into her actions.

“Since then l have sent several letters – on 20 March, 11 June, and 14 August – requesting information about the status of this investigation. One did not need the detective skills of Agatha Christie to realize that something is amiss here. A case like Ms. Badawi’s does not exactly require the assistance of an NYPD forensics team,” he wrote.

“A year has passed since my initial complaint,” Prosor continued, “and my government still has yet to receive any substantive answers from USG Amos’s office. OCHA’s constant evasiveness in responding to my letters has forced me to question the seriousness with which they undertook Ms. Badawi’s inquiry. OCHA’s behavior casts doubt on its ability to conduct an honest, professional, and transparent investigation.”

Amos’s response came a week later. In her letter she reiterated what she wrote soon after the affair first broke, that Badawi’s personal Twitter account did not reflect OCHA’s views.

“I remain concerned about the negative impact her actions have had on the relationship between OCHA and the Government of Israel,” she wrote.

Amos said that an official inquiry was conducted by the UN Development Program’s audit and investigations office.

She said that due process was ensured for everyone involved, and that the investigation was concluded.

But, she added, since this is “an internal personnel issue, the United Nations is bound by rules of confidentiality and cannot disclose the results of the investigation or other related information regarding Ms. Badawi, who is no longer a UN staff member.”

She closed by saying that the UN “remains committed to ensuring and safeguarding the neutrality and impartiality of the Organization.”

So what's the big secret? Hmmm.

Labels: fauxtography, Gaza, Palestinian lies, Ron Prosor, United Nations

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:22 AM