Oil-for-food boss `broke UN rules on interests'
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.PAUL VOLCKER, the former US Federal Reserve chairman heading the investigation into the United Nation's oil-for-food programme in Iraq, said yesterday that its procedures had been "tainted".
In a damning account, he said the official in charge, Benon Sevan, had placed himself in "an irreconcilable conflict of interest". An interim report was to be published by Mr Volcker later last night. It was expected to lay bare a multitude of problems with the scheme, devised to allow Iraq to sell limited amounts of oil between 1996 and 2003 to purchase humanitarian supplies.
Arguing in yesterday's Wall Street Journal that the report did not make for "pretty reading", Mr Volcker nonetheless conceded that his investigators had not found evidence of "systematic or widespread abuse" of the $64bn programme by UN staff.
A final report is expected in June. Only then, Mr Volcker indicated, would he tackle questions about the son of the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan. Kojo Annan was employed by a contractor that benefited directly from the scheme.
The interim report will focus on Mr Sevan. Mr Volcker wrote that his team had determined that he had violated both "specific UN rules" and the "broad responsibility of an international civil servant to adhere to the highest standards of trust and integrity".
Mr Sevan had "an irreconcilable conflict of interest" by becoming personally involved in selecting which oil companies would get the contracts. Evidence suggests Mr Sevan worked to direct contracts to African Middle East Petroleum, a Panama-registered company that is owned by a Swiss-based oil trader.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments