Former U.N. oil-for-food head charged with bribery

[RightinNYC]

A former executive director of the U.N. oil-for-food program for Iraq and a brother-in-law of a former U.N. secretary-general have been charged with bribery and conspiracy to commit wire fraud tied to the program, a U.S. federal prosecutor said on Tuesday.

Former executive director Benon Sevan, the highest ranking U.N. official to be charged in relation to the program, and Ephraim Nadler, brother-in-law of Boutros Boutros-Ghali, were named in an indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday.

Michael Garcia, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement that Sevan, a Cypriot, allegedly received about $160,000 from Nadler on behalf of the Iraqi government.

My main man boutros boutros boutros boutros ghali, say it ain't so!:lol:

 

[jujuman13]

There are at the moment no indications that your main man, boutros boutros ghali, was implicated in this affair in any way, merely that his Brother-in-Law was.
But none the less, I suppose your main man might have given his Brother - in - Law some indications as to the workings of the UN.

This affair has much much further to run, a whole lot more folk have yet to be exposed.

 

[saggyjones]

I wasn't going to reply until I saw Da Ali G Show quote. When I first read it I thought with the same accent as Ali G has without even realizing it lol

 

[danarhea]

My main man boutros boutros boutros boutros ghali, say it ain't so!:lol:

Wasn't just UN officials doing it:

But a joint investigation by the Financial Times and Il Sole 24 Ore, the Italian business daily, shows that the single largest and boldest smuggling operation in the oil-for-food programme was conducted with the knowledge of the US government.

We are always quick to point to others, while ignoring that we ourselves did exactly the same.

 

[PeteEU]

Wasn't just UN officials doing it:

We are always quick to point to others, while ignoring that we ourselves did exactly the same.

and ignoring that Saddam got most of his money out side the Oil for Food program, with the full knowledge and acceptance of the USC and its veto carrying members as the article points out. The FT article is about smuggling OUT SIDE the oil for food program. This has been known for ages, but ignored totaly in the "bash the UN" frenzy of the US media and US politicans, something many in the European and international media have been pointing out time and time again.

But I just dont see how putting this guy on trial in a US court by US prosecutors gonna help anything.. so he cant travel to the US without the risk of getting arrested.. big deal, more and more people avoiding the US anyways because of the hazzle getting into the country. They will try to get him extradited, if they can find him...Plus the impartiality of the court has to be put into question by his defense council, considering the media coverage and attitude towards the UN in the US.. frankly I cant see he can get a fair trial at all.

Plus does New York or the US even have juristiction over them and the case? After all the crimes happened internationally, under an international organisation with full diplomatic immunity, and at least Sevan had diplomatic immunity as far as I know.

And for the record, if he did it and there is enough evidence to convict, then he should get put infront of a judge and jury and be punished.. but it has to be fair and transparent.