Posted on 04/27/2005 7:32:37 PM PDT by wagglebee
UNITED NATIONS - The embattled former director of the scandal ridden Iraq Oil for Food Program has sent a letter with an ultimatum to the office of Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Benon Sevan, a veteran Cypriot diplomat, now the target of several U.S. and U.N. investigations, has sent Annan a "demand" that the world body pay his mounting legal bills "or else."
According to Anann chief of staff Mark Malloch Brown, the letter, written by Sevan's legal team, carried an implied threat of new public disclosures regarding embezzlement in the now defunct oil for food program.
Sevan has given no indication that Annan was involved in the corrupt pay-off scheme. But if anyone might have evidence linking Anan - Sevan would know where the bodies are buried.
According to U.S. and U.N. investigators, the $60 billion program, which ran from 1996-2003 may have seen more than $6 billion directly skimmed and as much as $15 billion lost through oil smuggling overlooked by the U.N. and the Security Council itself.
Sevan has repeatedly claimed that Annan had committed to pay all legal bills up to the time U.N. chief investigator Paul Volcker issued an interim report on the Iraqi aid program scandal in February.
Those bills, which sources estimate at more than $350,000, have now become a subject of contention between the U.N. and the former under secretary-general.
With allegations of potential criminality, the U.N. has opted to decline the Sevan request for legal reimbursements.
"We will not pay his legal bills, it will not happen," Malloch Brown told NewsMax.
"If he (Sevan) has new information on the Oil for Food Program, let him make it public," Malloch Brown insisted.
Another U.N. official, speaking on background, told NewsMax, "If he has new information that has not been tuned over to (U.N. investigator)Volcker, that raises new questions."
Volcker has publicly complained that Sevan has "been less than forthcoming" during his panel's investigation into the multi-billion dollar scandal.
Currently, Sevan enjoys "functional immunity" - U.N.-speak for diplomatic immunity.
Annan, however, has pledged to remove such immunity if any U.N. staffer is indicted for criminal activity or found to be obstructing the Volcker investigation.
If Sevan does indeed have new information - information kept from the Volcker investigation - that may prompt Annan to revoke his diplomatic shield before any criminal indictment, confirmed the U.N. official.
NewsMax has leaned that in addition to the U.N. investigation, Sevan is also the target of an Internal Revenue Service probe into possible tax evasion.
Neither Sevan Nor his legal team would comment on the recent turn of events.
No honor among thieves..
More like a cat litter box... disgusting.
Stonewall 'im, Kofi. We all know you're innocent, right? Right?
No one obstructed the Volcker investigation more than Volcker himself. What a circus.
Sounds like Sevan is hitting the panic button.He ought to seriously consider 24/7 security.
This is when John Bolton would have given Sevan immunity and relocation to the U.S. in order for his testimony in criminal trial of Annan and his cronies. Billions of dollars are gone and he didn't know anything. Billions? You can't just miss that. You cannot have any type of reporting that misses that.
Arrest everyone involved and deport anyone else. Let the U.N. start over with 1 representative from each country. No staff, no secretaries, no media managers, just one guy to speak for each country. That's the only way to fix that place.
OHHHHHHHHHHH, YEAH!
I want to see the "or Else"!!
You mean litterbox instead of sandbox, right? ;-P
Note to Benon:
Meet me in Ft Marcy Park at seven!
Kofi
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