Kofi Annan's son admits role in oil-for food scam
American critics say U.N. officials 'vampire-like' in their fear of
truth
Posted: January 31, 2005
2:45 a.m. Eastern
2005 WorldNetDaily.com
Despite previous statements to the contrary, the son of U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan is now said to admit he did indeed play a
role in the scandalized oil-for-food program with Iraq, and that's
prompting a call for his testimony before the U.S. Congress.
London's Sunday Times reported Kojo Annan "admitted he was involved in
negotiations to sell millions of barrels of Iraqi oil under the
auspices of Saddam Hussein."
He purportedly told a friend he became involved in talks to sell the
oil to a Moroccan company in 2001, and is said to be cooperating now
with investigators delving into the program.
In December, Kojo Annan had issued a written statement to CNN, denying
any such dealings.
"I have never participated directly or indirectly in any business
related to the United Nations," his statement read.
In light of the disclosure, a California-based group leading the
effort to get the U.N. out of the United States is calling upon both
Kofi and Kojo Annan to testify before U.S. congressional investigators
regarding their roles in the oil-for-food scam.
"U.N. officials have become vampire-like in their fear of the light of
truth," said Melanie Morgan, co-chairman of Move America Forward.
"Well, it is time for them to stop running and hiding and face
accountability for their corruption and attempts to cover it up."
While Saddam Hussein was still in power, the oil-for-food program
allowed the Iraqi dictator to buy humanitarian supplies under
supervision of the U.N. It has since been revealed that corruption was
rampant within the program, as Saddam used its funds to purchase
influence with political leaders around the world.
According to the Times, it's Kojo's connections to Hani Yamani, the
son of Sheikh Yamani, the wealthy former Saudi oil minister who set up
OPEC, that are under scrutiny.
Yamani lined up a deal four years ago to sell some $60 million in
Iraqi oil to a Moroccan company, and Kojo is alleged to have traveled
to Morocco to help seal the deal.
"He was just trying to do Hani a favour," a friend of the younger
Annan told the Times. "Believe me, Kojo is as straight as they come.
In the end the deal never went through because Hani was trying to make
an unrealistic profit."
Another source, close to Yamani's business Air Harbour Technologies,
told the paper: "Hani Yamani liked to surround himself with the great
and the good. Kojo was a very passive executive and I always thought
he basically lent his name to the firm. The Annan name obviously has a
certain presence when you are putting together deals in Africa."
Move America Forward has produced a series of television commercials,
to help spread the word about corruption at the U.N., and co-chairman
Howard Kaloogian says this revelation is telling to say the least.
"With each news cycle we learn that more and more of what we were
previously told by the U.N. is an ever-growing pile of false
statements and fabrications," said Kaloogian.
"The only way to get to the truth is to compel Kofi and Kojo Annan to
come clean about their oil-for-food dealings with U.S. investigators."
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| User: "tw" |
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| Title: Re: Kofi Annan's son admits role in oil-for food scam |
31 Jan 2005 07:37:21 AM |
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<itwill@happen.com> wrote in message
news:1107178142.78a1c91ee6c5189f1eeafcae1344461b@teranews...
Kofi Annan's son admits role in oil-for food scam
American critics say U.N. officials 'vampire-like' in their fear of
truth
8 *BILLION* dollars missing from Iraqi reconstruction fund
Wonder if this will trigger the same witchhunt as the UN faced? Hilarious
quote from Bremner at the bottom...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/file_on_4/4216853.stm
Almost $9bn (£4.7bn) of Iraqi oil revenue is missing from a fund set up to
reconstruct the country.
The BBC's File On 4 programme has learnt that out of over $20bn raised in
oil revenues during US-led rule, the use of $8.8bn is unaccounted for
<snip>
The CPA has also come under attack for failing to prevent widespread fraud.
One US company is accused of massively inflating its profits by setting up
sham companies to send fake invoices which the coalition paid.
Others are alleged to have demanded dubious commissions which then came out
of Iraqi funds.
Even some Coalition officials are said to have openly demanded bribes of up
to $300,000 in cash.
File On 4 reporter Gerry Northam explained: "Many Iraqis are angry at the
way the Coalition handled funds, particularly the money from their own oil,
and especially where inexplicable amounts ended up in the hands of foreign
businesses."
Context 'misunderstood'
Claude Hankes-Drielsma, a former British advisor to the Iraqi Governing
Council, which worked alongside the Coalition, said the lack of control of
funds was a further blow to the United States.
"It is most unfortunate, given that the liberation of Iraq was a great
achievement. It was recognised as such by the Iraqi people, but the
subsequent handling of events was a disaster.
"It was such a key moment and a great opportunity was lost by the way it was
handled."
In response to the report, the former head of the coalition, Ambassador Paul
Bremer, said the auditors had failed to understand the context in which the
Authority was operating.
Western accounting standards could not be applied in the midst of a war, he
said.
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