U.N. Official Quits Amid Allegations He Got Son a Job
Associated Press
Thursday, June 23, 2005; A23
UNITED NATIONS, June 22 -- A senior U.N. purchasing official under investigation in the oil-for-food probe resigned after allegations that he helped his son get a job with a company that did business with the United Nations, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Shortly after Alexander Yakovlev submitted his resignation Tuesday night, his office was sealed at the request of the Independent Inquiry Committee, which is investigating claims of fraud in the oil-for-food program.
Yakovlev, 52, worked in the procurement department, which oversees the awarding of U.N. contracts. He was accused of helping his son get a job with IHC Services, a New York-based company that describes itself as a supplier of branded product and services providing a diverse range of high-quality capital equipment.
Yakovlev said in his resignation letter that he was stepping down both because of the allegations and because he wanted to protect the integrity, reputation and the interest of the organization, said Marie Okabe, U.N. deputy spokeswoman.
Yakovlev was thrust into the public eye in February when he was mentioned in a report by the Independent Inquiry Committee, led by former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul A. Volcker.