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Ex-oil for food chief took bribes: report

Ewen MacAskill

LONDON: The reputation of the United Nations was dealt a severe blow on Monday when an independent inquiry accused one of its most senior officials, Benon Sevan, of corruptly receiving $147,184 to help facilitate an oil deal.

The inquiry, headed by Paul Volcker, former chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, recommended Mr. Sevan's diplomatic immunity be lifted for the ``purposes of a criminal investigation.''

Mr. Sevan, a U.N. official for 40 years, resigned on Sunday ahead of publication of the report. He denies the allegations.

The investigators said a former U.N. procurement officer, Alexander Yakovlev, who has also resigned, sought a bribe. They said he collected $950,000 in kickbacks. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday waived Mr. Yakovlev's immunity.

U.N. sources said Mr. Yakovlev had been taken into custody.

The Volcker inquiry began in April last year after claims of corruption. —

© Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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