Kofi Annan's 'Gifts' to U.N. Staff 
Carl Limbacher and staff
December 8, 2005
Newsmax
Original Source: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/12/8/134628.shtml

Christmas seems to have come early to some employees at the United Nations, claim several veteran staffers. 
Sources inside the U.N.'s Staff union have privately criticized U.N. chief Kofi Annan's decision to offer a number of selected employees generous retirement packages. 
More curious, is the fact, say U.N. sources, that those selected for the early termination offers were not based on departmental seniority, a common norm for such decisions. 
The sources claim that many of those retiring may be currently or potentially involved in a whole host of internal investigations, ranging from embezzlements to work place harassment. 
Earlier this week, Carla Pirelli, who directed the U.N.'s oversight of several international elections, was summarily fired by Annan for charges of sexual harassment. Pirelli is challenging the 
secretary-general's actions to an appeal panel. 
That move came after Annan was forced to reinstate another staffer who successfully challenged his firing. 
Joseph Stephanides, who oversaw Security Council interests in the scandal plagued Iraq Oil-for-Food Program, not only saw almost $100,000 in back salary reinstated, but got a U.N. appeals board to criticize Annan's decision to terminate him in the first place. 
All of this comes as Iraq Oil-for-Food investigator Paul Volcker concludes his year and a half inquiry at the end of the month. 
The investigation, which cost the world body in excess of $30 mil., has so far recovered leas than $16 mil. 
While published estimates claim that as much as $20 billion may have been stolen from the U.N. program, Volcker could only track down approximately $2 billion actually missing from the operation itself. 
The remainder, it is believed, was pilfered in outside activities associated with, but not part of the aid program. 
Annan however, has made it clear to reporters that he does not foresee any additional measures by the U.N. to recover any of the missing funds. 
It is time to move on, he has repeatedly said. 
It is also unclear whether any U.N. member states may proceed with their own independent investigations. 
On Captiol Hill, Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) has made it clear that his investigations into U.N. corruption will not be halted. 
Rick Grenell, a spokesman for U.S.-U.N. ambassador John Bolton, has said Washington will seek to have Coleman's investigators given access to the Volcker files if need be. 
If that was not enough, Annan, who had planned an Asian tour of China, Japan and Korea through the holiday season, had to cancel his voyage at the last minute. 
Budget problems, claimed Annan spokesman Stephane Dujarric, kept the Secretary General in New York. 
It wouldn't look cool if he (Annan) were seen floating around the Pacific while we are trying to tackle serious budget matters here in NYC ... You don't look too involved in managing the organization from photo ops in Tokyo and Beijing, complained one U.N. staffer. 
Annan's 10 years as secretary-general ends December 31, 2006. 
No potential successor has surfaced as yet.