Matthew Lee probed for unethical behavior

7 June 2012 02:34 am - 13 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA) is investigating the unethical and unprofessional behaviour of well-known Inner City Press correspondent Matthew Russel Lee, who has on several occasions attacked Sri Lanka over alleged war crimes.

One charge against him is that of the alleged harassment of his colleagues at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

A highly placed diplomatic source said that the UNCA executive committee voted 13 to 1 to set up an Examination Board to investigate the charges against Mr. Lee. The only dissenting vote came from Lee who is also a member of the executive committee.

Mr. Lee is on trial not for his attacks on Sri Lanka but for accusing the UNCA President Giampaolo Pioli of ‘accepting rent money’– a legitimate transaction – when he was the landlord of a New York City apartment and rented out to Dr. Palitha Kohona, who is Sri Lanka’s Permanent Representative at the UN when Dr. Kohona was Chief of the UN Treaty Section some eight years ago.

He has also accused Mr. Pioli of arranging Dr. Kohona and his team to screen the government’s ‘Lies Agreed Upon’ film at the UN under UNCA auspices without asking other UNCA executive board members about the screening.

Mr. Pioli admitted accepting rent from Dr. Kohona but denied the accusation he was biased in favour of Sri Lanka and while Mr. Pioli demanded the article be removed from Lee’s blog, he had refused calling it censorship.

If Mr. Lee is impeached, he would be the first UNCA journalist to be expelled from the association. He has also being critical of Major General Shavendra Silva-the Deputy Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka at the UN. Mr. Lee has criticized the UN for appointing Major General Silva to the UN Advisory Panel on Peacekeeping. (Supun Dias)

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Comments - 13

PKR Thursday, 07 June 2012 03:26 AM

Please do not harras this innocent jounalist Mathew.
We, diaspora community in US is sure of this persons integrity and he can not be bought by other for money since we have already paid him over 7 millions dollars making films regarding eelam struggle.

Wara Thursday, 07 June 2012 03:29 AM

Well done.

Leela Thursday, 07 June 2012 03:50 AM

Just a tip on the iceburg.

Hussain Thursday, 07 June 2012 05:02 AM

Now people are beginning to see the tentacles of the Diaspora, a leak her a leak there, where the money has been distributed to denigrate Sri Lanka and its officials. Unscrupulous people in any country could be bought very easily. Money talks.

fazli Thursday, 07 June 2012 05:12 AM

Don't what lies ahead when you further down.

Kondebandapucheena Thursday, 07 June 2012 05:24 AM

LTTE Money can make false allegation against Sri Lanka

MK Thursday, 07 June 2012 05:40 AM

What goes around, comes around!

MOHAMED ASFAR Thursday, 07 June 2012 07:19 AM

gotcha...............

Nodrog Thursday, 07 June 2012 11:49 AM

Seems he used to sing for his supper.

Sam Thursday, 07 June 2012 11:49 AM

All UN is corrupted. It well known business in USA. This UN is not representing the world nations. It representing imperialists and corrupted world organisations.

Nodrog Thursday, 07 June 2012 11:50 AM

Is the tide turning in our favour now??

NAK Friday, 08 June 2012 04:00 AM

Mathew Rusell....All good things come to an end!

David k Sunday, 10 June 2012 06:27 AM

There is no doubt that Mathew Russell Lee gets fundng from Tamil groups, including the LTTE, some right wing groups in the US and finally some junior and senior UN staff. A list of names of these staff will soon be published on line. He is a liar and has used his access to the UN and his accreditation to the UN to speard falsehoods. He must be investigated and the full force of justice must follow.

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Matthew Lee probed for unethical behavior

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