UNITED NATIONS PROCUREMENT OFFICIAL
SENTENCED TO 8 YEARS IN PRISON ON CORRUPTION CHARGES

MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that SANJAYA BAHEL, the former Chief of the Commodity Procurement Section within the Procurement Division of the United Nations (“UN”), was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to 97 months in prison on his convictions for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of benefits from a UN vendor in exchange for his assistance in awarding tens of millions of dollars’ worth of UN contracts to the vendor. BAHEL, 57, was sentenced by United States District Judge THOMAS P. GRIESA, who also ordered BAHEL to forfeit $103,500, as well as his interest in Units 17E and 17F in The Dag Hammarskjold Plaza condominium, a luxury high-rise located at 240 East 47th Street, New York, New York.

BAHEL was convicted on June 7, 2007, after a three-week jury trial, of four counts of mail fraud and wire fraud arising from a scheme to deprive the United Nations of BAHEL’s honest services, one count of conspiracy, and one count of acceptance of corrupt payments by an official of organization receiving federal funds. The evidence at trial established that NISHAN KOHLI -- who earlier pleaded guilty in the case and testified at trial as a Government witness -- and his relatives provided BAHEL with cash, first-class plane tickets, a computer, and a discounted rent and later a discounted purchase price on a three-bedroom apartment (comprised of two smaller units) in the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, in exchange for BAHEL’s assistance in getting contracts from the United Nations Procurement Division for companies owned or represented by the KOHLIS. BAHEL’s assistance to the KOHLIS included providing inside information, providing advice (including advice on what prices to bid), helping the KOHLIS navigate problems they faced within the United Nations, ghost-writing the KOHLIS’ correspondence with the United Nations, and identifying vendors the KOHLIS could represent as consultants in connection with United Nations business.

Mr. GARCIA praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In addition, Mr. GARCIA thanked the United Nations, and its Office of Investigative Oversight Services/Procurement Task Force, for their cooperation and assistance in connection with the prosecution.

This case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorney ALEXANDER WILLSCHER and First Assistant United States Attorney CATHY SEIBEL are in charge of the prosecution.

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