UNITED NATIONS – The investigation into the U.N. department charged with contracting outside suppliers is now estimated to include abuse, fraud, and graft to the tune of tens of millions of dollars or more, Undersecretary General for Management Christopher Burnham told reporters yesterday.

His estimate came as a report prepared by the internal watchdog was distributed yesterday to member states. The report by the Office of Internal Oversight Services was not shown to the public and the press, although it was prepared with taxpayer funds.

Mr. Burnham, a former official in the Bush administration, yesterday thanked “the brave men and women” of the United Nations who, under new policies he implemented to protect whistle-blowers, stepped forward to expose wrongdoing in the procurement department.

“The potential abuse could go into the tens of millions of dollars,” Mr. Burnham said. “It could go higher than that, but we are in the middle of looking at 200 different reports of abuse.” Fox News, however, reported on its Web site yesterday that the number is closer to $300 million. Mr. Burnham refused to estimate what percentage of contracts in the peacekeeping department, which comprises 85% of all U.N. procurement spending, were tainted by the scandal.

Last week, the U.N. announced the suspension of eight officials in relation to the OIOS investigation. Mr. Burnham said the suspension did not indicate guilt. The two highest-ranking men suspended – the procurement division chief, Christian Saunders, and the head of the office of central support services, Andrew Toh – denied any wrongdoing. Mr. Toh told Reuters that the United Nations wrongfully accused him.

Mr. Burnham said the United Nations will continue to assist local law enforcement authorities as well. The federal Southern District of New York is investigating the procurement department and has already secured a guilty plea from a former official, the Russian national Alexander Yakovlev, who reportedly is cooperating in the investigation.