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•Written by The Editors• ••Tuesday•, 30 •October• 2007 17:42•
| •Article Index• |
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| Open Letter to WIPO Chief |
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As usual, however, select African and Middle Eastern Mafiosi are doing everything possible to protect their own, an attitude not shared by many of their own nationals, notably lawyers, administrators, and academics, who consider Idris and what he represents a slur on their aspirations to be professional.
WIPO has hesitated for months to act on a recent internal audit alleging that Idris received jobs and won promotions based partly records indicating that he was born in 1945. Last year, he changed his birth date to 1954 - 24 years after he had joined the agency - possibly enhancing his retirement benefits, the audit said. According to the Associated Press, Idris has also made inaccurate claims about his qualifications when applying for jobs. It found that Idris' earlier birth date would have helped him get his first job at WIPO in 1982 and later promotions until 1997, when he landed the post of director general. The audit lists documents, including drivers licences and identity cards, some using one birth year, others using the later date. The report raised other questions. Idris' 1982 application said he obtained a master's degree in international law from Ohio University in 1978. But Jessica Stark, spokeswoman for the university, told The AP that Idris had attended from Sept 12, 1977, to June 10, 1978, when he received a Master of Arts in African Studies. Adding to the confusion, the audit said Idris registered at the university with a third birth date - August 26, 1953 - a year earlier than the revised date.Idris has denied he tried to profit from the age change, blaming the discrepancy on a typographical error. Nevertheless, he has not been present in any WIPO assembly discussions over alleged infractions. Nor is he talking to the press. Here is an open letter by Salvatore Di Palma, the former Deputy Director at WIPO, imploring Idris to resign for the sake of basic decency and for the sake of the organization.