UNITED NATIONS, March 31: Another sex scandal has surfaced at the United Nations, involving the woman head of a UN election unit who has been accused of making unwanted sexual advances toward a male employee. Ms Carina Perelli, the highly praised Uruguayan director of the Electoral Assistance Division, is being charged with creating a sexually charged work environment, according to a confidential UN commissioned report.

“The consultant looked into it and presented findings. The findings resulted in something more serious than just mismanagement, and it is now up to the department head to conduct a preliminary inquiry, which he is now doing,” UN spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters on Wednesday.

Ms Perelli, who helped organize elections in Iraq and Afghanistan, has been charged with violating UN staff rules and was preparing a written response to the charges, UN officials said on Wednesday.

The report said that employees, in interviews, had raised allegations of sexual and workplace harassment, misuse of agency funds and mismanagement.

“The work environment within the division is considered offensive by many of those interviewed and has contributed to emotional harm,” the report said. Ms Perelli, 48, could not be reached for comment.