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| International-UN-NGOs |
| Kofi questioned thrice in UNSCAM probe |
| 2005-01-26 |
| U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) was on Tuesday questioned for a third time by the commission investigating the scandal-tainted Iraq (news - web sites) oil-for-food program, a U.N. spokesman said. Annan has appointed Paul Volcker, the former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve (news - web sites), to lead a probe of the $67 billion program, set up in late 1996 to allow civilian goods into Iraq in an effort to ease the impact of U.N. sanctions. "He has met more than once for an extended period of time with Mr. Volcker and his investigators," U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said in answer to queries. He originally said two interviews took place last year but later updated the information, saying the latest round was on Tuesday afternoon and lasted one hour and 35 minutes. Previous interviews were conducted on Nov. 9 for one hour and 45 minutes and on Dec. 3 for 25 minutes. "Yes, the secretary-general is part of the investigation, is subject like anyone else involved in oil-for-food in the secretariat," Eckhard said. "He has been questioned and most likely will continued to be questioned as Mr Volcker's investigation continues." The spokesman said the meetings took place in Annan's office at U.N. headquarters. Volcker is due to give a preliminary report at the end of the month or early in February. Among the allegations is that Kojo Annan, the U.N. leader's son, was paid a total of $125,000 by Geneva-based firm Cotecna, which inspected goods coming to Iraq. U.N. officials have denied Annan was aware or involved in contract negotiations. The payments were part of an agreement for the younger Annan, who worked in West Africa rather than Iraq, not to join a firm competing with Cotecna after he left the company, Eckhard said previously. CIA (news - web sites) weapons inspector Charles Duelfer, in a report in October, said Saddam reaped some $1.7 billion by subverting the program. Iraq also sold $8 billion in oil outside of the program, to Jordan, Syria and Turkey, which the Security Council, including the United States, knew about. Volcker said earlier this month his probe has not turned up a smoking gun. "You know his son was employed by this company, you know he knew his son was employed by the company, you know a few other things, but suppose you have no evidence Kofi influenced the process," Volcker told the New York Times. "You find an e-mail, or somebody who's squealing, then you have the proof, but without it you're left with the difficult task of trying to prove a negative," Volcker said. More recently Samir Vincent, 64, a naturalized U.S. citizen, pleaded guilty in New York of taking millions of dollars from Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s government in exchange for lobbying U.S. and U.N. officials. Vincent is the first known suspect who can shed light on how Saddam subverted and worked around the program and Volcker has asked to interview him. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #2 Don't forget the five Congressional investigations still ongoing, tu. The smoking gun will have to work hard to remain unturned. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2005-01-26 10:19:06 PM |
| #1 Volcker said earlier this month his probe has not turned up a smoking gun. Might wanna get used to hearing that one, folks... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2005-01-26 7:41:58 PM |