UNITED NATIONS - Iraq paid more than $1 million in cash to bribe former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali but investigators said they had no evidence he ever received the money.
Covered his tracks, did he? | The findings were contained in a 1,000 page report by the UN appointed Independent Inquiry Committee, set up to investigate the defunct $64 billion oil-for-food humanitarian program for Iraq.
Boutros-Ghali was in office in 1996 when the program was created that allowed Iraq to sell oil in order to buy food, medicine and offset the impact of 1990 UN sanctions. During negotiations to set up the program, âthe back channel discussions evolved into something more: an Iraqi scheme to bribe Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali in order to ensure that he would be flexible,â the report said. But the report said it had no evidence that Boutros Ghali was aware of Iraqâs intentions or received any money.
The money was to have been passed through Iraqi American businessman, Samir Vincent, and Tongsun Park, a South Korean lobbyist. Both are accused by federal prosecutors of attempting to bribe UN officials.
"Legume! Round up the usual suspects!" |
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