Asia: Lies, lies and more lies are the order of the day in a regional NGO

This is of particular concern as the issue of impunity has been at the forefront of the particular NGO attacks on the police services, military and even government offices of countries throughout Asia.

by a Special Correspondent-Oct 25, 2017

(October 25, 2017, Beijing, Sri Lanka Guardian) In the past few months, Sri Lanka Guardian has been writing a great deal about regional NGOs that are abusing funds provided by their donors. The reports have included, mismanagement of funds, nepotism, cronyism and even alleged sexual abuse of female staff. Another incident has now come to light involving a past employee and while it does not reveal misuse of funds, it does reveal appalling mismanagement, untruths told by the HR Head and the fact that the Former Head covered up for him.

This is of particular concern as the issue of impunity has been at the forefront of the particular NGO attacks on the police services, military and even government offices of countries throughout Asia. It is therefore unacceptable that this NGO is hypocritical enough to allow the same impunity to its own executive.

The matter concerns three issues; the first was an application of a salary advance by one of their long serving staff. In February of the year in question he applied for an advance of salary from the HR Head and was informed that he, the HR Head was no longer in a position to grant such advances. He actually used the wording, “ it is no longer within my remit”, and that he would have to seek the approval of the board. However, within weeks of making this statement and in the full hearing of other members of staff he granted such an advance to one of his cronies, thereby proving that his earlier comments were a blatant lie. If the HR Head did not want to grant the salary advance he could have simply informed the staff member that, in his capacity as the senior most member of staff, he had elected not to do so. However, that would have been an inconvenient truth. Sadly, he found it more convenient to tell a convenient lie.

The problem lies with the fact that the HR Head had been permitted to lie, open faced, to a member of his staff and that the Former Head allowed him to get away with it. The pure arrogance in this matter is astounding.

The second incident involved a letter purported to be from the management committee in which he informed a member of staff that he was being reprimanded and that the committee had agreed on the content and the issuance of the said letter. The particular member of staff made inquiries with several members of that committee and was told that no one had knowledge of either the contents of, or the issuance of the letter. Once again it must be asked as to why the HR Head felt that he had the right to a member of the staff with impunity. If he had omitted the part about the letter being approved by the committee there would have been no problem. However, that would have been an inconvenient truth. By hiding behind the management committee, the HR Head told another convenient lie.

In the territory where NGO is based staff members who have served over a certain amount of years are entitled to a long-term service payment. They are also entitled to the payment of a retirement fund which all staff and employers are required to pay into. The staff member was informed of the amount that he was to receive as a long-term award and was surprised as the employer has the right to deduct any contributions to the retirement scheme. After making inquiries of the HR Head in the presence of a senior member of staff, he was told that no deductions would be made from his retirement award. However, upon receipt of the payment by the relevant bank he found that the sum of USD 11,000 had been deducted. The staff member gave the HR Head every opportunity to explain the situation but the latter dodged the question and left the matter to the Former Head to explain the matter. In what was obviously a contrived letter the Former Head informed the staff member that they had paid him everything he was entitled to. What the Former Head failed to explain was why the HR Head had once again been permitted to lie to a member of staff with impunity.

It is important to emphasise that there had been no financial impropriety on this occasion. The problem lies with the fact that the HR Head had been permitted to lie, open faced, to a member of his staff and that the Former Head allowed him to get away with it. The pure arrogance in this matter is astounding.

It is appalling that despite their very public stand for more than 20 years on the issue of impunity for wrongdoing, the management and directors of this NGO are prepared to turn a blind eye to the actions of their own HR Head.