* Two firms' UN contracts were temporarily suspended
* UN says it has "zero tolerance" for sexual abuse
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS, Dec 9 (Reuters) - A Russian airline used by U.N. missions around the world said on Friday it disciplined an employee who was found guilty of sexual abuse in the Congo and was taking steps to prevent any future misconduct.
Earlier this week, the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations told Reuters that it temporarily suspended the contracts of two Russian air transportation firms active in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan and elsewhere after several staff sexually abused local residents. [ID:nL1E7N775P]
The companies involved were UTair Aviation and Nefteyugansk United Airline, which provide airplane and helicopter services for U.N. missions around the world.
"It is true that in May 2011 actions of an employee ... in Congo were classified by the U.N. as sexual abuse," UTair said in a statement. "UTair is fully sharing the 'zero tolerance policy' regarding such actions, as declared by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon."
"Therefore it actively participated in investigation of this case by the special U.N. committee and took the required disciplinary measures towards its employee," it said.
The company did not offer details of the disciplinary measures taken against the employee who committed the abuse.
U.N. officials have declined to provide details on the sexual misconduct of the employees involved in the case, though one source familiar with the DPKO decision said the sexual abuse was "extremely serious."
"UTair is confident that implementing new practices and continuous monitoring of the situation will allow it to fully comply with (U.N.) requirements ... and conform to the high status of a U.N. vendor," UTair said.
Nefteyugansk has not issued any statement. Emails sent to its press office were returned with a message that its mailboxes were full.
UTair says it is the biggest air services vendor supplying the United Nations, with over 50 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft engaged for U.N. missions in Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sudan, Congo and Afghanistan.
It was not immediately clear what, if any, follow-up actions the Russian government would take against those guilty of misconduct. A spokesman for Russia's U.N. mission did not respond to repeated requests for comment. The Congolese ambassador has said he was looking into the matter.
U.N. peacekeeping missions have been hit with a number of sexual abuse scandals in recent years in the Balkans, Congo, Haiti, Liberia and elsewhere. Some critics have accused the world body of not taking sexual misconduct within its ranks seriously enough.
Ban has vowed to stamp out sexual misconduct as much as possible under his "zero tolerance" policy. (Editing by Jackie Frank)
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