Another oil-food scandal emerges

Washington Times ^ | 11/30/04 | Betsy Pisik

[kattracks]

NEW YORK — U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said yesterday he was disappointed in his son for accepting payments from a key contractor in the oil-for-food program for more than four years longer than had been previously acknowledged.
    Kojo Annan, 31, had been employed from 1995 to 1997 at Cotecna Inspection SA, a Geneva-based firm that had been inspecting humanitarian goods imported by Iraq with U.N.-administered proceeds from its oil sales. He served briefly as a consultant until 1998.

But the younger Mr. Annan continued to receive as much as $2,500 a month from Cotecna until February 2003 as part of a "no compete" agreement, according to chagrined U.N. officials, who have said for years that the payments ended in late 1998.

[snip]

Mr. Annan and other U.N. officials have long said that it was a coincidence that Mr. Annan's son worked for the company that was awarded the contract to manage the program, and that the U.N. office responsible was not aware of Kojo Annan's role at Cotecna.
    But the appearance of a payoff to the secretary general's son was just the latest in a series of revelations about the Iraqi oil-for-food program to shake the U.N. Secretariat.

[snip]

U.N. officials have been urging the media, U.S. politicians and others to withhold judgment about the unfolding saga until the organization's own investigation has concluded.
    That inquiry, led by former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, is expected to issue another interim report in January, which may address the Cotecna and Sevan accusations.
    The full report could take another year, and cost as much as $30 million — to be funded with leftover cash in the oil-for-food program.

[Dallas59]

Crooks. What good is the UN?

[Brian328i]

U.N. officials have been urging the media, U.S. politicians and others to withhold judgment about the unfolding saga until the organization's own investigation has concluded.

Weird, I could swear that the UN is corrupt and it shows so well on its own without a report from an investigation.

[ThirstyMan]

"Crooks. What good is the UN?"

Ha ha! Didn't you read the article? You're supposed to "withhold judgment".

U.N. officials have been urging the media, U.S. politicians and others to withhold judgment about the unfolding saga until the organization's own investigation has concluded.

[injin]

excuse me , but......
Free Republic (seems to me) should focus loud and clear
on the UN Food for Oil scandal.

this is the chance for payback for all the terrible stuff
we have had to hear them say about our good leaders and
the war to remove Saddam and to really bring down this 'house of fools' .

tighten the screws until they say " Uncle!"

Kofi has got to go.....a few thousand people chanting that in the streets in front of the UN would be sooooo sweet to see!

[KingNo155]

U.N. officials have been urging the media, U.S. politicians and others to withhold judgment about the unfolding saga until the organization's own investigation has concluded

Like cockroaches they fear the light.

[gr8eman]

Stall, Stall...Deny, Deny. The slick one is perfect for this kind of work.

[GailA]

MASTER LIST UN OIL/SEX FOR FOOD SCANDALS

[mewzilla]

I heard, per an appearance on FNC by Claudia Rosett, that Annan's kid was accepting payments through February of 2004. Isn't 2004 the right date? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

a few thousand people chanting that in the streets in front of the UN would be sooooo sweet to see!

Great idea. Maybe it could escalate into something meaningful. If they can do it in the Ukraine, we can do it here. Too bad I'm in the middle of the country.

[mewzilla]

Note to the Washington Times: The correct date is Feb. of '04.

[ChicagoRighty]

Thanks... reading later