Washington 'Conman' One-time U.N.'s 'Eminent Person'

  •  united nations
  • Inter Press Service

The sensational murder of Viola Drath, a 91-year-old socialite, inside a townhouse in Washington, DC apparently has a U.N. angle to it.

Albrecht Gero Muth, the 47-year-old husband, who has been taken into custody in a murder case that has riveted the U.S. capital, is an 'Executive Director of the Eminent Persons Group' on Small Arms.

Muth, a German national who falsely claimed he had strong links to the Iraqi army and had served in that country's armed forces, has been described in news reports as 'quirky' and 'idiosyncratic.'

'Muth is one of the most consummate conmen and fooled a lot of so-called eminent people, including our 38th floor,' said a former U.N. official, who had warned the Secretariat to be wary of Muth.

He served under the tenure of Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

A statement by the Iraqi embassy said: 'We are deeply troubled by Mr Muth's claim of his service in the Iraqi military. He is not currently and has never been a member of the Iraqi army.'

At a press conference back in October 2002, Muth spoke on behalf of the former Secretary-General of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) and Co-Chair of the Eminent Persons Group, Salim Ahmed Salim.

The Eminent Persons Group is an independent commission of 24 international personalities close to the United Nations Secretary-General. Its objective is to advance the Secretary-General's vision of a small arms non-proliferation regime.

With more than 90 percent of illicitly trafficked small arms and light weapons originating in the licit trade, especially from the industrialised North, the Group had undertaken within the 'Paris process' to confront the supply side of the illicit traffic by eradicating the potential for diversion, according to a U.N. press release.

Muth described the 'Paris process' as an informal mechanism, with the objective of furthering the Secretary-General's vision of small arms non-proliferation.

The Governments of China, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and the United States were among those actively engaged in the process. In addition, Ambassadors of Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and the Russian Federation served on the Group in their personal capacities.

© Inter Press Service (2011) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service