Former UN General Assembly President John Ashe of the twin-island Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda died on Wednesday as he was facing criminal charges in a bribery case. He was 61.
Former UN General Assembly President John Ashe of the twin-island Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda died on Wednesday as he was facing criminal charges in a bribery case. He was 61.
Dr. Ashe died at his home in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., according to Sergeant Vincent Ingani, of the Dobbs Ferry Police Department.
Dr. Ashe's death was caused by "traumatic asphyxia" due to a neck injury he suffered while lifting a barbell, according to an official with the Westchester County Office of the Medical Examiner. Dr. Ashe was on a bench while lifting the barbell. Earlier reports incorrectly said that he died of a heart attack.
"Despite the many as yet unproven accusations made against him, Dr. Ashe was for many years a hard-working and popular member of the diplomatic corps in New York and at the United Nations," Mogens Lykketoft, the current UN General Assembly president, said in a statement. "I know that his death will come as sad news to the many professional friends and colleagues he made during his time here."
Dr. Ashe was a former UN ambassador from Antigua and Barbuda who served in the largely ceremonial post of president of the 193-nation assembly from September, 2013, to September, 2014.
He was accused last year by U.S. federal authorities of turning the position into a "platform for profit" by accepting more than $1-million (U.S.) in bribes.
The alleged conspiracy involves six other people, including a billionaire Chinese real-estate mogul, two diplomats and a humanitarian organization officer.
Dr. Ashe was accused of accepting payments from a real estate developer from Macau, Ng Lap Seng, to splurge on luxuries: hand-tailored suits, Rolex watches and a $40,000 lease on a new BMW X5. In one instance, federal prosecutors said in their criminal complaint, $200,000 was wired to Dr. Ashe's private account. In return, he took a trip in his official capacity to discuss a conference centre that Mr. Ng wanted to develop. The charges remained pending.
Several of his co-defendants pleaded guilty. They included Sheri Yan, the head of a little-known New York-based foundation, who pleaded guilty to making payments to Dr. Ashe.
At the time of his death, Dr. Ashe had only been charged with tax fraud in connection with the bribes, amid questions about whether diplomatic immunity might preclude any bribery charges.
Dr. Ashe had pleaded not guilty and his lawyer had said he would be vindicated. It wasn't clear how Dr. Ashe's death would affect the bribery case.
"It's a tragic loss for his family and the community. He was preparing to fight his case at trial," said Dr. Ashe's lawyer, Jeremy Schneider.
Dr. Ashe held a doctorate in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania. He joined the foreign service in 1989 and was awarded the Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George by Queen Elizabeth II in 2007 for his global diplomatic service, according to his UN biography.
As a diplomat, Dr. Ashe was heavily involved in sustainable development issues, taking leadership roles in some of the major UN environmental agreements.
"We only have the planet we live on, and if we are to leave it in a reasonable state for the next generation, the quest for a safer, cleaner, and more equitable world is one that should consume us all," Dr. Ashe said in a UN statement.
The corruption allegations have proved deeply embarrassing to the United Nations. A panel appointed by the secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, recommended greater transparency in how the president of the General Assembly receives and spends money, including by making expenses public.
Its impact was visible Wednesday, when Mr. Lykketoft, the General Assembly president, said he was taking his wife, Mette Holm, on a diplomatic trip to Cuba – and paying her share with personal money.
Dr. Ashe leaves his wife, Anilla Cherian, and two children.
Associated Press with a file from The New York Times News Service and Reuters