U.N. Staffer Gets 'Substantial' Payoff

U.N. Staffer Gets 'Substantial' Payoff
Wednesday, July 07, 2004

UNITED NATIONS — A fight between two staffers at a U.N. party earlier this year has led to new questions about how the United Nations handles whistleblowers.

The physical tussle took place in January between two women who were attending a Chinese New Year's party in a conference room of the U.N. headquarters in Manhattan, several sources confirmed to FOX News. The party was thrown by the embattled head of the United Nation's anti-corruption department, Dileep Nair.

One woman, whose name was not released, filed a complaint against Maria Ljungrenn, Nair's executive officer. Ljungrenn was offered what one source described as a "substantial" payoff to leave rather than face disciplinary action and Ljungrenn took the offer, sources said.

What happened and why it happened to Ljungrenn becomes more significant because of the sexual and financial misconduct charges that Nair is facing. Nair runs the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services.

Ljungrenn, in her position as Nair's executive officer, would have had direct knowledge of Nair's personnel decisions.