Being Rude to Somebody

Over the years I have had a number of reactions to my book.

Most of them are good.

The strangest reaction of them all by far, from a Zambian friend, who, without availing herself of the tedium of getting the facts or reading the book, dismissed the whole saga as me “being rude to somebody.”

This person also has some very definite ideas as to who is responsible for dealing with the destructive effects of corruption on Africans; “Somebody has to do it.” Or rather as I was told “it is not your place to do it.”

Generally feedback that I get is quite good, if sometimes a bit odd. Here are two recent ones:

“Thank you for showing me that there're people like you in this world. Hope everything is going well for you!!”

“Kind of remind me of Mel Gibson in "Year of Living Dangerously." Hope it's not that dangerous for you!”

Sreeram Chaulia provides a quick summary in “Angola: Empire of the Humanitarians:”

“Where did the UN Trust Funds money go, if not to local communities of Angola? Kukkuk’s remarkable testimony of corruption, deceit and lies in the UNDP bears elaboration. RUTEC, a South African company with dubious links to diamond dealers, started a ‘micro enterprise development project’ in Huambo in 1998 with $1.5 million of funding from UNDP and UNOPS (UN Office for Project Services). The author, who was selected as the Project Director, found to his shock that only a pitifully small amount of money actually reached him on the ground in Huambo. “This contract seemed to neatly sidestep the usually strict procurement rules in place within the UN system.” RUTEC was chosen as sub-contractor by UNDP although this company was spurious, lacking local roots and planning for what kinds of training would benefit the war-affected economy. The author’s higher-ups in RUTEC instructed him, “We do not have to tell anybody what we are doing in Huambo and what we are spending on this project.” (p.217). Progress reports submitted to UNOPS contained no financial statements. There was no competitive bidding or justification shown by UNDP for choosing RUTEC as the sub-contractor. Under the CRP, projects had to be reviewed and authorised by a local appraisal committee. RUTEC never received one. UNDP “got involved, planned and gave money to a project that none of its staff understood or made an effort to learn to understand.” RUTEC was “yet another typical UNDP mess, a fiasco that usually accompanies UNDP projects.” For RUTEC to get vehicle documents, imported equipment or even work visas, well-paid UNDP staff requested “missing documents” (euphemism for $100 bills). RUTEC in Johannesburg was, on its part, harnessing this “sweetheart deal with UNOPS”, further increasing its profits by over-invoicing and manipulating equipment transfers to Angola.”



Then out of the blue some unexpected feedback via Skype:



[23/03/2010 07:48:59] [name-removed] :



Leon



I had dealings with John Dommett at Rutec late 90s

What I have read from you seems about right, but there is more.

If you know what I am talking about I will hear from you



[23/03/2010 08:04:22] Leon Kukkuk: tell me more i can be contacted at [name@place.com] We did speak once on the phone I remember and then when I called you back a day later you had already been dismissed



[28/03/2010 13:25:00] [name-removed]: I wasn’t dismissed I got too close to what you have exposed The money via Brazil?



[28/03/2010 13:36:17] Leon Kukkuk: which money via brazil? I am not aware of that?



[28/03/2010 13:46:26] Leon Kukkuk: Can you send me more information? There were many things I was never able to get to the bottom of. The project in Huambo avoided all audits. Someone who took over at rutec and apparently had an audit claimed to have found nothing wrong but refused to let me see the audit report.



[28/03/2010 13:46:57] Leon Kukkuk: The project in Huambo avoided all audits.



[28/03/2010 13:47:12] Leon Kukkuk: UN audits



[28/03/2010 14:02:44] [name-removed]: All I remember, bearing in mind it is about 10 years now, was Dommet let it slip that the money from UNDP went via Brasil and was skimmed there (about 1/3). Also that you had money diverted to Caribbean by Rutec and only pocket money sent to Huambo. I was due to take your pocket money on my visit but I got out as Dommet suspected I was snooping and became more secretive with Buswe Yafele and MWU

The truly disturbing fact is that many of the same criminals responsible for this are still working at UNDP. It makes one wonder who exactly is responsible for getting rid of them.