Posted on 02/04/2005 9:38:34 AM PST by NormsRevenge
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) pledged Friday to get to the bottom of any wrongdoing by the United Nations (news - web sites) in the Iraq (news - web sites) oil-for-food scandal.
"We are as determined as everyone to get to the bottom of this. We do not want this shadow to hang over the U.N.," Annan told reporters as he arrived at headquarters.
"So we want to get to the bottom of it, get to the truth and take appropriate measures to deal with the gaps," he said.
An independent inquiry named by Annan to look into the $69 billion program, which was shut down in 2003 a few months after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, issued an interim report on Thursday that found lax U.N. controls, a shortage of audit staff and political favoritism when the program was put in place in 1996.
It found no pilfering of money from the U.N. administration of the program.
But Volcker said the program's director, Benon Sevan, engaged in a "grave conflict of interest" by soliciting oil allocations for a small trading firm run by relatives of Boutros Boutros-Ghali, the U.N. secretary-general from 1991 to 1996. Volcker is investigating whether Sevan received a kickback for his efforts, as Iraqis have alleged.
"Obviously there were some hard knocks in the report and we are concerned about it," Annan said. "This is why we intend to take action promptly."
Annan intends to take disciplinary action against Sevan and Joseph Stephanides, who now heads Security Council affairs and was accused in Volcker's report of interfering in contracts without competitive bidding in 1996. He said he was consulting lawyers on how to do this.
He said diplomatic immunity would be lifted if there were charges of criminal acts, and he said the United Nations would right financial controls and accounting procedures and more reforms would follow.
No. I don't think you live down two murders. I just hope people continue to shun him and scorn him and make his life as miserable as it can possibly be.
There is even better news:
Nigerian Internet conmen vow to give back millions to American Churches.
The numerous dictators in Africa and the Middle East vow to enact reforms in the pursuit of FREEDOM for their people.
The religious scholars in the Middle East have vowed to consider REFORMING Islam so that the people are free to choose their destiny.
All of the corrupt businessmen in Eastern Europe and Russia have vowed to REFROM their business practices for the betterment of their citizenry.
China has vowed to end government corruption.
And more importantly, the male dominated third world governments on the planet have vowed to treat women as equals.
As Louie would say, "What a beautiful world......"
Oh, that's hilarious, considering he and his son are up to their eyeballs in it. ROFL, Kofi.
Sure... He, OJ and Scott Peterson can all work together to find the culprits.
Why are all you people so tough on Incompetent Kofi?
Can't you see the guy's got his hands full, wining and dining in New York's five-star restaurants? How is he supposed to make time for sorting out these endless annoying scandals, with a gruelling schedule like that?
C'mon, and now you expect him to show LEADERSHIP, something he's never displayed before? Are you people dreaming?!
(OK, enough sarcasm, you get the point...)
Like OJ searching for the "real killer"...
Of course this doesn't feel right. Clearly the UN is as corrupt as can be, so naturally it's going to stink to high heaven.
Volcker is not the only game in town, however, and Congress (the Republicans seem to be acting honorably of late) and the DOJ are on the case, too. Don't forget the recent plea from Samir Vincent who is "cooperating". And that is separate from this sham investigation.
OJ and Kofi should make a good team, although Kofi's white wife might get a little nervous about Kofi's new best friend.
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