Kofi Annan allegedly not telling the whole truth

[storm1977 0]

NEW YORK — U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (search) faces new questions over whether he lied to independent investigators probing the scandal-scarred Oil-for-Food program. Those investigators said Tuesday they were "urgently reviewing" fresh evidence.

That evidence, obtained by FOX News, appears to contradict Annan's claim that he knew nothing about the awarding of a major Oil-for-Food (search) contract to a company that employed his son.

Kojo Annan worked for Cotecna Inspection Services (search), a Swiss firm which won one of the most lucrative contracts in the multi-billion-dollar program.

One of Kojo Annan's (search) supervisors there was a man named Michael Wilson, a lifelong friend of Kofi Annan.

The secretary-general has consistently denied ever discussing the Cotecna contract with any of the company's executives.

"I have no involvement with granting of contracts either on this Cotecna one or others," Kofi Annan said in November.

But Cotecna has given a new document to investigators with the Independent Inquiry Committee, the U.N.-approved panel headed by former Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker charged with looking into corruption associated with the Oil-for-Food program.

The document is an e-mail from Wilson, the old Annan family friend, to other executives at Cotecna describing a meeting in Paris just weeks before the Oil-for-Food contract was awarded.

The e-mail refers to the U.N. Iraq Program and says: "We had brief discussions with the SG [the acronym for Secretary-General] and his entourage. Their collective advise [sic] was that we should respond as best as we could to the Q and A session of the 1-12-98 and that we could count on their support."

The numbers "1-12-98 " refer to a Dec. 1, 1998, meeting between Cotecna executives and U.N. officials in New York at which the contract was discussed.

Asked to explain the contradiction between this evidence and Kofi Annan's claim never to have been involved in contract discussions, a spokesman for the secretary-general said the office was looking into it.

"We are still checking our files to see if this encounter took place, so I cannot give you any explanation yet," said spokesman Fred Eckhardt.

The Volcker panel is also examining the document.

In a statement released Tuesday, panel spokesman Michael Holtzman said investigators were "urgently reviewing newly disclosed information" concerning a possible tie between Kofi Annan and Cotecna.

"This information was first provided to the IIC late last evening. The IIC will conduct additional investigation regarding this new information," the statement said.

The e-mail from Wilson adds to doubts about Kofi Annan's denials of familiarity with the Cotecna contract.

In March, a report from the Volcker panel concluded there was no evidence the U.N. chief tried to influence the world body's decisions in order to benefit his son's business interests. The panel reached its conclusion despite Annan's own omissions about his contacts with Cotecna.

Annan at first did not tell investigators that he had met twice with Cotecna representatives as the Swiss company began soliciting United Nations business. One investigator for Volcker reportedly was so concerned with Annan's veracity that he sought to make note of it in the report.

But the final report toned down the language offered by Robert Parton. He and another member of the IIC quit the panel following the report's release.

Kofi Annan "had checked the records and now remembered the meeting," the final report said about one of the two meetings Annan did not initially disclose

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Sometimes it is more important to protect LIFE than Liberty

[tcnelson 1]

another case of not enough fingers to plug the leaks in the dam.

"Don't talk to me like that assface...I don't work for you yet." - Fletch
NBFT, Deseoso Rodriguez RB#1329

[rushmc 18]

Really??

"America will never be destroyed from the outside,
if we falter and lose our freedoms,
it will be because we destroyed ourselves."
Abraham Lincoln

[rmsmith 1]

The people have always some champion whom they set over them and nurse into greatness... This and no other is the root from which a tyrant springs; when he first appears he is a protector.
Plato, The Republic
Greek author & philosopher in Athens (427 BC - 347 BC)

[eaglenrider 0]

Don't be fooled by this "Kofi Annan" side track to the oil for food program scandal.

The fact is that the Clintons had a large hand in setting up the entire "oil for food" and used it to gain political leverage.

They made sure that many of our own senators and congressmen got "a piece of the pie" and are holding that over their heads.
Did it seem strange to you that only two members of the Senate commitee showed up when George Galloway was set to appear.
They knew he had the goods on them and their part in oil for food and that he was willing to call them on it.
" Senator, this is the mother of all smokescreens. You are trying to divert attention from the crimes that you supported, from the theft of billions of dollars of Iraq's wealth.
Have a look at the real Oil-for-Food scandal. " -GG

See, what's going to happen is that Kofi is out and Bill Clinton will be taking his seat.
That's what is going on here.

Blues,
Cliff

[bodypilot90 0]

Quote

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan faces new questions over whether he lied to independent investigators probing the scandal-scarred Oil-for-Food program. Those investigators said Tuesday they were "urgently reviewing" fresh evidence.

boy i am shocked.......not

[Gravitymaster 0]

Quote

Don't be fooled by this "Kofi Annan" side track to the oil for food program scandal.

The fact is that the Clintons had a large hand in setting up the entire "oil for food" and used it to gain political leverage.

They made sure that many of our own senators and congressmen got "a piece of the pie" and are holding that over their heads.
Did it seem strange to you that only two members of the Senate commitee showed up when George Galloway was set to appear.
They knew he had the goods on them and their part in oil for food and that he was willing to call them on it.
" Senator, this is the mother of all smokescreens. You are trying to divert attention from the crimes that you supported, from the theft of billions of dollars of Iraq's wealth.
Have a look at the real Oil-for-Food scandal. " -GG

See, what's going to happen is that Kofi is out and Bill Clinton will be taking his seat.
That's what is going on here.

Blues,
Cliff

I agree. I also think Clinton will do a better job than Koffi. Clinton will also be among those with similar principles and morality.

[eaglenrider 0]

I agree. I also think Clinton will do a better job than Koffi. Clinton will also be among those with similar principles and morality.

[Gravitymaster 0]

Quote

I agree. I also think Clinton will do a better job than Koffi. Clinton will also be among those with similar principles and morality.

__________________________________________________

And the American "sheeple" will be more willing to accept UN troops in our country if they are sent by an American UN President.

Blues,
Cliff

[ViperPilot 0]

God the UN sucks...why are we still members?

[Gravitymaster 0]

Quote

God the UN sucks...why are we still members?

Because the Libs think it does more good than harm. I doubt the people of Dafur, Sudan would agree though.

[SpeedRacer 1]

The moderators of SC should make a new sticky:

1) Everything bad in the world is the direct fault of either a) Bill Clinton or b) GW Bush.

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Speed Racer
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[slug 1]

Quote

God the UN sucks...why are we still members?

Because their headquaters is located in N.Y.C., and the city is getting rich by getting paid for all those parking tickets (not).

Sometimes institutions outlive their usefulness or won't change with the times.

Changing the head of the UN won't send it in a new direction SOS just a different face.

R.I.P.