The Hindu : International : Galloway to appear before U.S. Senate committee

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 14, 2005

International

International

Galloway to appear before U.S. Senate committee

Hasan Suroor

Allegations of favours from Saddam regime under oil-for-food scheme

LONDON: George Galloway, the feisty British MP who was controversially expelled from Labour Party for his opposition to the Iraq war, is to appear before a U.S. Senate committee next week over allegations that he received favours from the Saddam Hussein regime under the oil-for-food programme in breach of U.N. sanctions.

The Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has alleged that Mr. Galloway, known for his proximity to the Saddam regime, was illegally given vouchers for 20 million barrels of oil which he could trade in the world market. It has also alleged that a children's charity, run by him, was used to "conceal'' payments from the sale of oil obtained through these vouchers.

The allegations are claimed to be based on documents of the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, and testimonies of Iraqi officials.

When similar allegations appeared in a British newspaper two years ago, Mr. Galloway went to court and won a libel case against The Daily Telegraph. But the committee has claimed that its report is based on documents different from those mentioned in The Daily Telegraph articles.

Mr. Galloway angrily rejected the report saying it repeated "false accusations'' that had already been denied. He said he welcomed the opportunity to clear his name.

"My first words will be, `Senator it's a pity that we are having this interview after you have found me guilty. Even in Kafka, there was the semblance of a trial.''

Mr. Galloway has never concealed his admiration for Saddam Hussein but consistently denied that he ever benefited from the Saddam regime. "I will repeat this for the 500th time — I have never seen a barrel of oil, I have never seen a voucher for a barrel of oil. I have never bought one, sold one, traded in one and neither has anyone on my behalf,'' he said.

Mr. Galloway, who contested last weeks' general election on an anti-war ticket, sensationally defeated a high-profile sitting Labour MP Oona King.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News Update

Stories in this Section

9 killed, scores injured as unrest over terror trial quelled by army in Uzbekistan city

Major blow to Bush over Bolton U.N. nomination

Galloway to appear before U.S. Senate committee

Rice condemns "disrespect"

Singular course: The man who has married himself

Germans back E.U. constitution

Dutch "allowed genocide" in Srebrenica

Palestinians turn against Fatah