Press coverage

Readers Respond

Email

Opinions expressed in Stam-Scandal.com by contributors are not necessarily shared by
the editor and/or publisher/owner.

Dear Mr McKeown,

I write in connection with your circulars regarding Niger in 2005 and 2001. I am very disappointed that you have published an announcement, apparently originating from the Niger postal administration, listing postage stamps claimed to be illegal.

The reason for my disappointment is that I had previously drawn your attention on many occasions, to the proceedings in the French Courts instigated by Niger Post (and paid for by Sako Khatchikian of Impressor S.A.) where their claims that the stamps were “illegal” were comprehensively dismissed. I have also provided you with large quantities of documentation in support. Your circular 388 of 2005 stated that Niger was acting to “identify and prosecute. ” You have the proof that their attempt to prosecute me in France in 2001 was dismissed. Your circular 388 of 2005 merely repeats the accusations of 2001. What do Niger Post or yourselves hope to achieve by such stupid behaviour?

I note that you have published this to the whole world through the UPU in your capacity as Director of Markets, and attempted to somehow distance yourself from Niger Post by stating “The postal administration of NIGER asks me to inform you of the following….”. Such attempts can never succeed and some responsibility rests with yourself as the person who published the information.

There was a gross dereliction of the duty that you owe to the UPU as a trusted senior officer given that you were already in possession of information showing the decision of the French Courts where Niger Post had chosen to have the matter decided.

I draw your attention to the recent scandals involving hundreds of thousands of investors in many countries and billions of dollars of investors’ money. These scandals primarily involve a company named AFINSA whose activities have in the past been very heavily connected with those of the UPU and its officers. These occurrences show how important it is to protect and maintain the good reputation of the Universal Postal Union as a part of the trusted and respected United Nations. These affairs have begun to openly affect the economies of whole nation states, for example Spain, and billions of people are kept informed by headlines in leading national newspapers. The investigating authorities of Spain and the USA have of course been very active behind the scenes for some time, and some high profile raids and arrests have already been made, more will certainly follow.

I therefore urge you now to immediately publish a retraction and apology. (I was of course named in the 2001 Circular, which was later amended to remove my name) This will come many years too late to prevent the damage already caused to myself and my companies and those who produced and distributed the stamps concerned. It will, however, go some way to demonstrate that the UPU and its officers are using resources to carry out the proper role as an arm of the UN. The UPU should not be used to support those companies, however large, who bribe foreign postal officials into sending false letters to the UPU and thereby make vast profits across the world.

You had all the documentation showing the decision of the French Courts and yet you still chose to act on letters from individual Niger postal officials knowing them to be false.

Surely the only way this could not be viewed as a dereliction of duty is if it were to be something far worse. Now is the time for an apology and retraction, in the cause of both justice and self-interest.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Dr J.C. Marino-Montero