Bahel's trial could just put spotlight on UN

The trial date for Sanjaya Bahel, a United Nations official currently under suspension and Nishan Kohli, the Indian-American businessman, who was a former business agent for TCIL and other companies bidding for UN contracts, has been set for May 7, 2007. They will be tried at a US federal court in New York. At a pre-trial conference where the trial date was set, the federal prosecutor in charge of this case said the trial was likely to last two to three weeks.

Bahel, who was a senior procurement officer at the UN, is accused of using his influence to award UN contracts worth over $50 million to companies represented by Kohli, in return for real estate in Manhattan.

Kohli, who was arrested in Miami on November 1, was arraigned on Monday, and pleaded not guilty. Bahel was arrested in New York on November 1, and had already pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. Both Bahel and Kohli are currently out on bail. Kohli and his lawyer refused to comment on the case.

Bahel's attorney Raymond Levites spoke to CNBC-TV18 outside the court said, he would consider requesting a deferral of the UN's ongoing internal investigation against Bahel, to ensure its outcome would not prejudice his client's trial. He ruled out any plea bargain by Bahel and said they would go to trial.

Raymond A Levites says, "We expect to go to trial and we expect that Mr Bahel will be acquitted. We're hoping that his diplomatic colleagues from the past and the representatives of the Indian government at the UN and in Washington DC will lend him some support, as the government of Singapore had lent some support to Mr Toh, Mr Bahel's immediate superior."

Levites couldn't resist the urge to make a dig against the UN. He adds, "We hope that there will be a fairer view of the facts before an American jury than there is in the unfortunate lynch mob atmosphere that prevails in the UN, which is under such pressure to prove that it's cleaning its own house. That it's come to having the US Attorney's Office in New York be the moral arbiter of whether or not the UN is running a clean house."

Indira Kannan