Brussels, 19/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - During the first quarter of this year, the European parliamentarian, Maurizio Turco (List Bonino, Italy) sent Romano Prodi, European Commission President, several letters and documents denouncing the serious dysfunction in the management of the United Nations Anti-Drug Agency, UNODCCP, by questioning the Executive Director of this Body, Pino Arlacchi. The European parliamentarian also called on Romano Prodi to suspend any Community financial contribution to the UNODCCP. In a letter dated 19 March, the Commission President refused to move in this direction, explaining that he awaited the results from the internal checks by the UN concerning this case.
Today, Maurizio Turco continues his crusade. He has just passed on to Mr Prodi the investigative report carried out by the office of the UN internal control services, he OIOS, of which he cites an extract in a press release: the report, he writes, talks of hypercentralised management, arbitrary and lacking transparency (…), waste of resources (…), absence of procedure for the revision and approval of projects (…), absence of quality controls (…), fund raising strategy without a long-term view (…) etc., etc., etc. The parliamentarian also quotes another OIOS report that casts doubt over the scientific credibility of the World Drug Report 2000 produced by the United Nations Anti-Drug Agency. These reports confirm what I have written to Mr Prodi, feels Mr Turco. The MEP also underlines that, in a letter from last 29 January, Mr Arlacchi lied in full conscience to Mr Prodi when asserting that the document casting doubt over the management of the UNODCCP (passed on to Mr Prodi by Mr Turco) was an "internal dossier" released by an active member of his staff. For all these reasons, Maurizio Turco, reiterated on Monday his call for the blocking of Community financing and an investigation into the European anti-drug funds provided to the United Nations.