Marc Rich Tied to U.N. Oil for Food Scandal (NewsMax)

NewsMax ^ | 4-29-04 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[jmstein7]

Clinton-pardoned fugitive billionaire Marc Rich has turned up in the middle of the United Nations Oil for Food scandal, with his name on a roster of companies authorized to participated in the corruption-plagued arrangement.

"One of Marc Rich's companies was on the United Nations list that was approved to trade and transport Iraqi oil," Fox News Channel's Eric Shawn reported Tuesday.

"And it appears that Mr. Rich's firm, Marc Rich & Co. Investments AG, may well have been given that approval by the UN before the presidential pardon," Shawn added.

That means the U.N. was ready to do business with America's most wanted white collar criminal, while other program participants were busily stuffing their pockets with Saddam Hussein's kickbacks.

Thomas Frutig, CEO of Marc Rich Holdings, denied the allegation, telling Fox, "We were not involved in the Oil for Food program."

But in the next breath he added, "Every oil company which wasn't trading applied for an authorization to trade, but I can't tell you how much we did, or whether we did anything."

Rich had previously gotten into trouble over allegations he traded oil with Iran at a time when Tehran was on the U.S. embargo list as a state sponsor of terrorism.

[dix]

I can't wait to read the threads on this one.

[Azzurri]

No doubt Marc Rich probably kicked up some of that Oil-for-Food money up to his pardoner, to show his appreciation.

[FlashBack]

I realize that this guy was pardoned by Mr. Clinton...but can he be brought up on new/different charges???

[jmstein7]

I don't believe that Clinton pardoned him for this.

Pardons are specific.

[FlashBack]

Go get'em A.G. Ashcroft!!!!

[Zuben Elgenubi]

It has suddenly become "Oil for Food for Influence".

I'd like to hear what Rudi Guiliani has to say about this. As Rich was fleeing the country, he had a few assistants on a helocopter flying out to LaGuardia to stop Rich's airplane. They missed him and he went onto Switzerland.

[Captain Peter Blood]

Forget it. This guy is just to clever for his own good. If they could not get him before they probably won't get him now. He and his partner Pincus Green have Switzerland bought off and they will never extradite those guys at this point.

[Brimack34]

Is there an end to Clinoons corruption? I want to say a lot more but I do not want to end up with 20 bullets in me, tied up in the trunk of a car. And have it chalked up to suicide.

[EGPWS]

I can't wait to read the threads on this one.

So when is BJ Clinton going to hit the UN circuit to set things strait?

[PGalt]

Great post. Connecting more of the dots to the anti-freedom Crime Syndicate.

[EGPWS]

Thomas Frutig, CEO of Marc Rich Holdings, denied the allegation, telling Fox, "We were not involved in the Oil for Food program."

Hold onto that paper that states this, and hope and pray that the rest of the papers have been shredded beyond recognition.

[FairOpinion]

FoxNews reported it a few days ago -- the mainstream media is totally silent about it.

[Mo1]

I realize that this guy was pardoned by Mr. Clinton...but can he be brought up on new/different charges???

Yep .. if there is enough evidence to nail his butt

[FairOpinion]

http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110004801

"Mr. Maugein, a billionaire with close ties to Jacques Chirac, is a longtime associate of the trader and former fugitive Marc Rich, who fled to Europe in 1983 to avoid answering charges of racketeering, illegal trading and dodging a tax-bill of $48 million. (Mr. Rich was pardoned by Bill Clinton in his final hours in the White House). Mr. Maugein was also a close contact of Tariq Aziz, with whom he met regularly. He is the non-executive chairman of Soco International PLC, a publicly listed London-based petroleum exploration/production company, which goes into markets the majors tend to skip--Mongolia, Vietnam, North Korea, Libya and Yemen. "

[Michael Barnes]

but can he be brought up on new/different charges?

That's a really good question. I understood pardon's to be specific in nature...

Ping to anyone that knows?

[jmstein7]

Yes, a pardon is specific... i.e., you are pardoned for a specific crime. Thus, you are vulnerable to charges/crimes/indictments/convictions you have NOT been pardoned for.

[ntnychik]

Marc Rich again!

[kcvl]

Weinberg alleges, Rich bought crude oil from the Ayatollah Khomeini's Iran while Iran was holding U.S. citizens hostage. This was in direct violation of a U.S. trade embargo -- and, in effect, helped to arm the Iranians by giving them needed cash.

snip


The resellers who were the main co-conspirators in the "stripper oil" fraud were convicted and served 12 months in jail. Rich's companies pleaded guilty to 78 counts and paid over $150 million, while Rich and Green remained fugitives. Attempts at extradition failed.

snip

Jack Quinn, Clinton's former White House counsel, took Rich as a client, things changed. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, the Anti-Defamation League and, of course, mega-fundraiser Denise Rich all submitted letters directly to Clinton, through Quinn, requesting a pardon.

[texasbluebell]

No doubt Marc Rich probably kicked up some of that Oil-for-Food money up to his pardoner

pardoner...? or "pardner"?