Tycoon Wyatt wants Saddam link omitted from trial (Sen. Kennedy implicated in possible treason)

Reuters ^ | 8/15/2007 | Christine Kearney

[tobyhill]

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A lawyer for Oscar Wyatt has asked a judge to exclude evidence from his upcoming trial that suggests a link between the Texas oil tycoon and Saddam Hussein and a tip to Iraq about the U.S. invasion.

The motion, filed in Manhattan federal court on Monday, comes three weeks before Wyatt, former chairman and founder of Coastal Corp., goes on trial accused of paying secret kickbacks to Iraq and corrupting the U.N. oil-for-food program.

He has pleaded not guilty to charges he conspired to pay several million dollars in kickbacks to Iraq in relation to the corrupted $67 billion program.

The motion seeks to remove prosecutors' evidence that suggests payments made by Wyatt to Iraq's state oil marketing organization were passed straight on to Saddam, arguing it would prejudice the jury.

"Prior to his execution, Hussein was considered one of the world's best known and most hated Arab leaders," according to the motion, which says prosecutors do not have to prove any connection to Saddam to convict Wyatt of the charges.

Wyatt is also asking to have portions of a diary of a former Iraqi state oil agency employee, Mubdir Al-Khudhair, omitted. It suggests Wyatt provided the Iraq government with information about when the United States would invade and bomb Iraq and how many soldiers would be sent, according to the motion.

"Such actions would likely be considered repugnant by most Americans and could potentially bias," said the papers, arguing the diary was irrelevant to Wyatt's case.

One diary entry also states that "Wyatt allegedly convinced Senator Edward Kennedy to deliver a speech against the war with Iraq," according to the motion. A spokesperson for Senator Kennedy did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

[Viking Ski Bum]

This is an interesting site:

Oscar S. Wyatt

[VOA]

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