By Omar Bah
A United Nations Development Program (UNDP) staff member was investigated for using a UN vehicle and driver to travel from Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, to Banjul, Gambia, to seek emergency care for her cat. However, the staff member, Alessandra Casazza, the regional representative for Guinea-Bissau, was cleared of any wrongdoing, as the agency permits the private use of UN vehicles in certain circumstances, provided that all related costs are reimbursed. The case has been closed.
The incident began when an anonymous whistleblower, reportedly a colleague of Casazza’s, sent an email to Pass Blue in January 2025, claiming that she had interrupted her duties in May 2024 to take her pet to a veterinarian in Gambia, which is separated from Guinea-Bissau by Senegal. The journey covered approximately 185 miles (or over 300 kilometers) and took a week.
According to the whistleblower’s email, Casazza conducted this trip without informing the UN country team or local authorities, even though she was the Resident Coordinator. The email accused Casazza of “misuse of official vehicles and staff for personal reasons.” It criticized her for leaving the UN system without a designated leader in a country vulnerable to instability and medical emergencies.
However, a source familiar with UNDP procedures stated that the organization’s policy allows for the private use of UN vehicles under specific guidelines. “The stipulation is that the staff member must reimburse the organization for costs such as wear and tear, fuel, and staff time. That’s what happened in this case. The Office of Audit and Investigations (OAI) found no grounds for wrongdoing,” the source explained.
Additionally, this source clarified that the regulations do not require staff members to justify their requests for vehicle use. “You can request a vehicle for any reason as long as there isn’t a cost to the organization,” they indicated.
Staff members typically would not be expected to own personal vehicles in positions like Casazza’s in Guinea-Bissau—a tiny former Portuguese territory on the coast of West Africa. “Officials in resident representative roles rotate for a few years and can use UN vehicles pretty much as they see fit,” the source added.
The UNDP has provisions for emergency leave, which meant the allegation of dereliction of duty was also dismissed. This information surfaced before the full implications of President Donald Trump’s freeze on foreign aid became evident, prompting various agencies, including UNDP, to tighten their budgets, especially as the leading American development agency, USAID, faced significant cuts under the controversial leadership of Elon Musk, a close adviser to Trump.
The whistleblower emphasized that “this misuse of resources is particularly egregious in a nation grappling with severe poverty and health crises,” referring to Guinea-Bissau. They claimed, “The UN’s growing negative image in Africa, particularly in West Africa, is fueled not just by geopolitical factors but also by incidents like this. Mismanagement and abuse of power at senior levels tarnish the organization’s reputation and credibility in regions that it seeks to support.” The author of the email used a pseudonym derived from the Yoruba water spirit Yemoja, who is often regarded as “the mother of humanity” and is characterized as motherly yet strongly protective.
It remains unclear why Casazza chose to take her cat to a veterinarian in Gambia or what the outcome was for the pet.
A Tripadvisor member who made the journey from Banjul to Guinea-Bissau noted, “This trip is not for the faint-hearted or those who suffer from car sickness” due to the numerous checkpoints along the route.
Casazza did not respond to requests for comment. UNDP spokesperson Dylan Lowthian stated that confidentiality rules prevented him from discussing individual cases. Still, he assured us that the OAI would investigate all allegations when evidence of wrongdoing was presented.
