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UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The embattled head of the United Nations' internal watchdog on Friday bitterly criticized a decision to launch an outside review of allegations that he showed favoritism in recruiting and promoting employees. Dileep Nair, head of Office of Internal Oversight Services, released a statement saying he was the victim of a smear campaign by the U.N. staff union designed to discredit his office. The favoritism charge is separate from a complaint made against Nair earlier in the week by the independent committee probing allegations of misconduct in the world body's defunct oil-for-food program in Iraq. That report...

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - An eagerly awaited first report by former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker into alleged corruption in the U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq will be sharply critical of U.N. management in key areas and will target Benon Sevan, who ran the program, a source close to the investigation told The Associated Press on Wednesday. The Volcker report, to be released Thursday afternoon, will focus on the administration, financial transactions, and internal auditing of the $60 billion program, all of which were "tainted badly," said the person with knowledge of the report. The interim report will not...

WASHINGTON — The United Nations was rocked by a new scandal yesterday when reports surfaced that the diplomat in charge of rooting out corruption in the world body is himself facing allegiations about unethical conduct. Fox News reported yesterday that Dileep Nair, the undersecretary general in charge of the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight, has been accused of demanding kickbacks and sexual favors in return for promotions inside his office. Nair, a native of Singapore, also has been accused of attempting to thwart the probe into the Iraq oil-for-food scandal, although his role in that probe remains unclear Sources told...

UNITED NATIONS — The United Nation's anti-corruption department has been rocked by accusations that the office itself is corrupt.The head of the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services, Undersecretary-General Dileep Nair (search), has been accused of promoting and recruiting people in ways that are not consistent with U.N. rules and regulations. Also, a senior investigator has been suspended and there have been accusations of financial and sexual misconduct.The scrutiny of Nair and his division comes at a delicate time, as the United Nations is under intense scrutiny for alleged abuse of the Iraqi oil-for-food program. In fact, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (search) is the U.N....