U.N. official quits amid harass case

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GENEVA -- U.N. refugee chief Ruud Lubbers resigned in the face of sexual harassment charges yesterday, saying he was insulted at the way the case had been handled by his boss, Kofi Annan.

Just two days after insisting that he would stay in his Geneva post, Mr. Lubbers released a bitter resignation letter to the U.N. secretary-general in which he said he felt let down by an apparent change of mind by Mr. Annan regarding the case.

The complaints, by a 51-year-old female employee of the refugee agency, were investigated by the United Nations over the summer. Mr. Annan decided at the time that there was insufficient proof for action against the former Dutch prime minister.

However, on Friday, the United Nations let it be known after a long-scheduled meeting between Mr. Annan and Mr. Lubbers in New York that the case was not over and that Mr. Lubbers' future as high commissioner for refugees was in doubt.

The complainant, an American, said Mr. Lubbers had groped her as she was leaving his office in Geneva after a meeting late in 2003.

London's Independent said Friday that she had accused him of grabbing her and thrusting his groin into her buttocks and holding her in that position.

Mr. Lubbers, who denies the accusation, was quoted by the newspaper as saying, "This is made up. I think it must have just grown in her mind."

"I ushered the woman out of the room with my hand on her back and that is all. ... You might call it familiar, but certainly not sexual harassment."

However, according to the newspaper, investigators with the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) said the groping was part of a "pattern of conduct."

Mr. Annan said yesterday that the controversy swirling around Mr. Lubbers had made the official's position untenable.