Posted on 06/17/2007 1:08:23 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
U.S. cites nuke-related entity in N. Korea's UNDP fund diversion
(Kyodo) _ The United States suspects North Korea has diverted funds provided by the U.N. Development Program to an entity affiliated with a North Korean bank believed involved in Pyongyang's nuclear development, according to copies of U.S. letters to the UNDP obtained Friday.
Commenting on the reported U.S. letters, the UNDP said it is "deeply committed to addressing immediately all allegations," but noted that Washington has yet to provide any documents to prove the alleged fund diversion.
The entity in question, Zang Lok, is affiliated with Tanchon Commercial Bank, a source familiar with the matter said.
The U.S. Treasury Department designated the bank, along with other North Korean concerns, in October 2005 as proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and delivery vehicles under President George W. Bush's executive order to freeze assets and prohibit transactions.
In the letter dated Wednesday to UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad names Zang Lok and two other North Korea-related entities -- International Finance and Trade Joint Co. and the National Coordination Committee for the UNDP.
Khalilzad says Washington has provided the names and other "detailed and specific information" to the UNDP, especially the "amounts paid to such entities and the date ranges of certain transactions." ADVERTISEMENT
While the letter does not specify the amounts and dates, Khalilzad says the UNDP "should easily be able to access its electronic records...to identify the above-mentioned payees and details for all such payments."
The UNDP said in its comments Friday about the letters that it "wishes to emphasize that at no time yet has the U.S. mission provided any documentation to substantiate its more recent allegations."
In a statement earlier this week after allegations concerning Zang Lok and IFTJ came to light in media reports last week, the UNDP said it "has no record of any dealings with one of the companies," and noted that its records in 2004 "show that UNDP procured $22,000 worth of workshop equipment and supplies from the other company on behalf of UNESCO."
In the letter dated Thursday to Dervis, Khalilzad wrote that UNDP Associate Administrator Ad Melkert met with U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform Mark Wallace over the issue and "suggested...that UNDP viewed U.S. inquiry relating to such new information as justifying some kind of 'retaliation' against the government of the United States."
The UNDP denied in the statement that Merkert made any suggestion of retaliation.
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