Ex-UN leader charged in bribery scheme

A former president of the United National General Assembly was charged along with five others on Tuesday for taking part in a massive bribery scheme.

According to federal charges, John Ashe — the former U.N. General Assembly head who also served as ambassador for Antigua — was given more than  $1.3 million in bribes to channel support for business projects in China.

In one instance, Ashe allegedly accepted more than $500,000 from developer Ng Lap Seng to help build a multibillion-dollar U.N.-sponsored conference center in the resort city of Macau.

{mosads}“If proven, today’s charges will confirm that the cancer of corruption that plagues too many local and state governments infects the United Nations as well,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara said in a statement announcing the charges. “United in greed, the defendants allegedly formed a corrupt alliance of business and government, converting the U.N. into a platform for profit.”

Francis Lorenzo, the deputy U.N. ambassador for the Dominican Republican, began courting Ashe on behalf of Ng and his assistant Jeff Yin to participate in the scheme in the spring of 2011, prosecutors claimed. In exchange for meeting Ng in Macau, Ng allegedly paid for Ashe and his family to travel first-class for a vacation in New Orleans and stay at a luxury hotel.

Over the course of their relationship, Ashe allegedly helped Ng buy property in Antigua and also circulated a U.N. document that Ng drafted in 2012 to support his Macau conference center.

Payments from Ng funneled through Lorenzo helped pay for the mortgage on Ashe’s house in suburban Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., federal prosecutors alleged, as well as a private basketball court, Rolex watches and bespoke suits. Ashe’s wife was also allegedly paid $2,500 per month to work as a “climate change consultant” for an organization created by Ng. 

Ashe also allegedly solicited separate bribes from Chinese businessmen funneled through two other people — Heidi Hong Piao and Shiwei Yan — the government said, adding up to more than $800,000. In exchange, Ashe allegedly gave his official support for their business deals.  

Federal prosecutors charged Ashe with two counts of filing false tax returns by underreporting his income in 2013 and 2014 by $1.2 million. Those charges are not covered by diplomatic immunity, according to the Justice Department.  

The other five were each charged with bribery and conspiracy.