U.S. Attorney in New York Charges Former U.N. General Assembly President and Five Others with Bribery Scheme

On October 6, 2015, Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and other law enforcement officials, announced  that former United Nations (“UN”) Ambassador for Antigua and Barbuda (“Antigua”) and President of the U.N. General Assembly (“UNGA”) John W. Ashe, Deputy U.N. Ambassador for the Dominican Republic Francis Lorenzo, Ng Lap Seng, a/k/a “David NG” (“NG”), Jeff C. Yin, a/k/a “Yin Chuan,” Shiwei Yan, a/k/a “Sheri Yan,” and Heidi Hong Piao, a/k/a “Heidi Park,” were charged in connection with a multi-year scheme to pay more than $1.3 million in bribes to Ashe in exchange for official actions in his capacity as UNGA President and Antiguan government official in support of Chinese business interests.