The Hindu : International : Annan has "no plan" to resign over oil scandal

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Friday, Jun 17, 2005

International

International

Annan has "no plan" to resign over oil scandal

PARIS: U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, back in the spotlight over the oil-for-food scandal, said in an interview published on Thursday he had no intention of resigning and is determined to continue his work to reform the United Nations.

``I take seriously the allegations against me,'' Mr. Annan told France's Le Figaro newspaper. ``That is why I wanted the Independent Inquiry Committee chaired by former Federal Reserve President Paul Volcker to carry out an in-depth investigation of this affair.''

The committee said on Tuesday it would again investigate Mr. Annan after an E-mail suggested he may have known more than he claimed about a multimillion-dollar U.N. contract awarded to the company that employed his son.

The E-mail described an encounter between Mr. Annan and officials from Cotecna Inspection SA in late 1998, during which the Swiss company's bid for the contract was raised.

If accurate, the new details would cast doubt on a major finding the U.N.-backed Independent Inquiry Committee made in March — that there wasn't enough evidence to show that Mr. Annan knew about efforts by Cotecna, which employed his son Kojo, to win the Iraq oil-for-food contract.

Through his spokesman, Mr. Annan said he did not remember the late 1998 meeting.

— AP

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