South Korea-based climate organisation GGGI was approved to receive 90 million kroner in foreign aid despite a 2011 review by the Danish Embassy in Seoul concluding that the group’s finances were poorly kept, Jyllands-Posten newspaper reported today.
Documents released by the Foreign Ministry last week revealed that parliament had earmarked the funding, even though it knew little about GGGI.
After the embassy’s initial concerns, a follow-up meeting later concluded that the organisation had “significantly improved” its financial record-keeping and administrative procedures.
Conclusions clash
Those conclusions, however, clash with the findings of a South Korean report noting a number of financial irregularities, including an excessive housings stipend for the organisation’s director and inappropriate allowances for his children.
The revelations come after Christian Friis Bach (R) was forced to step down as development minister last week after it was found that he, as a member of the organisation’s board, unwittingly approved travel regulations that permitted first-class travel for leading members.
In October, Lars Løkke Rasmussen (V), the former prime minister, came under intense media scrutiny for travelling first class as the head of the organisation. Rasmussen has since announced he will step down when his term expires.
