The Hindu : International : It's a witch-hunt: Kojo Annan

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Wednesday, Dec 15, 2004

International

International

It's a witch-hunt: Kojo Annan

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, DEC. 14. Kojo Annan, son of the United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has said he is not involved in the Iraqi oil-for-food programme.

"I feel the whole issue has been a witch-hunt from day one as part of a broader Republican political agenda," he told CNN in a statement. "The rest of the world has shown their unwavering support for my father."

Mr. Kojo Annan (31) lives in Lagos and worked for the Switzerland-based Cotecna, which was hired by the U.N. in 1998 to verify paperwork on imports by Iraq with revenues from the limited oil exports while economic sanctions remained. He worked for it between 1995 and 1997 and then for nine months as a consultant.

The U.N. monitored the programme between 1996 and 2003 during which Iraq sold oil worth $67 billions to some 248 companies in 61 countries, according to an independent inquiry by the former Chair of the Federal Reserve Paul Volker.Republican lawmakers have said the former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein siphoned off $7 billions from the programme and another $14 billions through smuggling oil. A part of the proceeds is reportedly being used to sustain the insurgency in Iraq which is taking a high American toll.

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