UN investigating contract procurement after bribe scandal News
UN investigating contract procurement after bribe scandal

[JURIST] UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan [official website] said Wednesday that the United Nations would be increasing surveillance of its procurement department after recent accusations that a senior official accepted close to $1 million in bribes from contractors. An internal investigative team at the UN on Monday arrested purchasing official Alexander Yakovlev [JURIST report] for pocketing about $1 million from the winners of $80 million in UN contracts. Benon Sevan, the head of the oil-for-food program [official website; JURIST news archive] from 1997 to 2003, was also accused of receiving $150,000 in kickbacks [JURIST report] from a Swiss-based trading firm. Sevan has adamantly denied taking bribes and nonetheless may not be able to be extradited from his native Cyprus [JURIST report]. Annan said he would meet with his new undersecretary-general for management, Christopher Burnham, later this week to discuss ways to ensure the integrity of procurement. US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton [official profile], commenting on the ways to reform the UN, said the lessons learned from the current scandals must be used to take "UN governance and management into the future." Reuters has more. Read a full transcript of Bolton's remarks.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Montgomery started racially-integrated bus service after boycott

On December 21, 1956, buses in Montgomery, Alabama, started racially integrated service following federal court rulings ending on-board segregation. Bus boycott leaders Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Rev. Ralph Abernathy were among the first riders under the new scheme. Learn about the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Stalin born

On December 21, 1879, Joseph Stalin was born in Gori, Georgia. In 1922, he became leader of the USSR until his death in 1953. During his time as Soviet dictator, Stalin industrialized his country, which he then led to become one of the world's two superpowers after WWII. Through his infamous purges, show trials and nationwide famines, Stalin also became responsible for millions of deaths.