Did the head of the UN oil-for-food program in Iraq accept bribes from Saddam? So allege documents obtained by Iraqi governing council from the Iraqi oil ministry:

"About 270 former Cabinet officials, legislators, political activists and journalists from more than 46 countries are on the list, suspected of profiting from Iraqi oil sales that Saddam allegedly offered them in exchange for cultivating political and popular support in their countries," the Associated Press reports.

"Also on the list is the head of the U.N. oil-for-food program, which ended three months ago, that had allowed the Saddam regime to sell limited quantities of oil to raise funds to help the Iraqi population.

"Benon Sevan has repeatedly dismissed previous allegations of corruption in the program, challenging those who make them to provide the evidence. The United Nations defended him again on Wednesday."

..."One of the Jordanians accused, former parliament member Toujan Faisal, denied to the AP on Tuesday that she accepted bribes or participated in illicit deals. She said, however, that she had served as an intermediary between the Iraqi government and an Amman-based oil dealer."

Interesting. Jordan is one of the principal countries the Iraqi governing council found to have been doing a lot of business with Saddam. But then again, Ahmed Chalabi, a member of the Iraqi Governing Council, has many reasons to want to point figures at Jordan, doesn't he? Between $200 and $300 million dollars worth.

Posted by Laura at January 31, 2004 10:39 AM