Kamil Idris: J'accuse

The argument over Kamil Idris (see recent IPKat post here, and Wikipedia profile here) appears to be hotting up. Salvatore Di Palma, former Deputy Director at WIPO, has written a "lettre ouvert", in which he openly lets rip against him on several grounds, and asks, "What have you done to WIPO, Monsieur Director?".

(Right: Kamil Idris receives a genuine honorary degree)

The accusations include (with apologies for any dodgy translation):

(i) a 2005 report by Ernst & Young indicating Idris's "totally bankrupt" approach to WIPO;

(ii) the reputation earned by his illustrious predecessor, Arpad Bogsch, being "demolished" with the aid of "a bulldozer and some unskilled workers";

(iii) 100 million CHF wasted on two IT projects;

(iv) a swimming pool paid for in cash [the IPKat says: ??!]

(v) changing his date of birth by 10 years in order to aspire to the position of Director General, in a way reminiscent of a nun aspiring to enter a convent;

(vi) transforming a surplus of 353 million CHF in 1998 to a deficit of 23 million CHF in 2004-5; and

(vii) a total absence of strategy in human resources, including granting promotions on a purely personal basis and employing people having only an approximate knowledge of the statute.

Salvatore Di Palma concludes that, to respect all those other civil servants who have dedicated their lives to their work, Kamil should do the one thing that would make them grateful, and resign.

The IPKat is amazed at the amount of vitriol being sloshed around at the moment, and wonders how this one will play out. Much of the ongoing argument appears to stem around an internal WIPO report (available here) that investigated certain alleged irregularities in Mr Idris's CV and his application to join WIPO in the early 1980s. Mr Idris's response to the report (available here) attempts to counter the accusations with his own against those who would apparently try to do him harm.

Will he stay or will he go? The IPKat is eager to find out, although he suspects that Mr Idris will not go without a fight.

For those wishing to further indulge in a bit of schadenfreude, there is a new IPKat poll up on this subject, for anyone who wants to express a view.

More schadenfreude here, here and here.
Kamil Idris: J'accuse Kamil Idris: J'accuse Reviewed by David Pearce on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 Rating: 5

4 comments:

  1. Some further German information on "Schadenfreude" - with an image illustrating the concept to English speakers:

    http://www.zeit.de/zeit-wissen/2007/02/Schadenfreude

    ReplyDelete
  2. The only problem I have with this sort of thing being labelled as schadenfreude is that in this case any misfortune appears to be entirely the fault of the sufferer. Is it still schadenfreude then?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great way to become famous:

    http://www.interet-general.info/article.php3?id_article=7272

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamil_Idris

    http://www.ip-watch.org/weblog/index.php?p=386

    http://www.letemps.ch/template/transmettre.asp?contenupage=nlreader&page=newsletterdisplay&id=13&NLArtID=11275

    http://www.tdg.ch/pages/home/tribune_de_geneve/l_actu/geneve/detail_geneve/(contenu)/159297

    http://list.msu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0606c&L=sudanese&P=829

    http://www.invention-europe.com/Article626098.htm

    http://www.tdg.ch/pages/home/tribune_de_geneve/english_corner/news/news_detail/(contenu)/159587

    http://www.africatime.com/algerie/nouv_pana.asp?no_nouvelle=362029&no_categorie=3

    http://www.ambafrance-ch.org/services/presse/revue/05102007.htm

    http://gnolu.romandie.com/post/2197/21864

    Le dernier veint d'un célèbre journal:
    http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN18117lasemerbmev0
    OMPI

    Le mensonge ne paie pas

    Le comble dans une organisation censée lutter contre la triche est d’avoir un patron menteur… Kamil Idris, directeur général de l’Organisation mondiale de la propriété intellectuelle (OMPI), a été acculé à la démission le 14 novembre. Cet ancien ambassadeur soudanais a dû, afin d’être recruté en 1982, se vieillir de neuf ans. Il a déclaré être né en 1945, au lieu de 1954… L’« erreur » n’a été corrigée qu’en 2006. Depuis, sa mauvaise gestion est apparue au grand jour. Et face au blocage du budget de l’OMPI, il a dû jeter l’éponge deux ans avant la fin de son mandat. Son remplacement est prévu en 2008.

    ReplyDelete
  4. http://www.sanfinna.com/UMP.htm Y
    You have to see this site with all the fabricated bills specially the his father's different signatures and his false travel expenses. All can be verîfied as the telephone numbers appear clearly on the attachments.

    ReplyDelete

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