BELOW IS AN ARTICLE FROM THE FIRST EDITION OF THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD OF FRIDAY, 6/10/06
QU
Report ties Iraq terrorism to payoffs
David Marr
AWB's kickbacks to Saddam Hussein may have financed terrorism, according to the final, confidential submission of counsel assisting the Cole inquiry into the oil for food scandal.
This is one of many damning conclusions contained in the 1300-page submission by John Agius, SC, being examined by lawyers representing AWB and more than a dozen of its past and present managers and directors.
Mr Agius is understood to conclude that AWB misled the Federal Government and the United Nations, and that key AWB figures may have committed criminal and corporate offences in paying kickbacks to Saddam's regime in breach of UN sanctions.
The submission singles out for criticism the former chairman, Trevor Flugge, and the former managing director, Andrew Lindberg. But it also makes adverse findings against the AWB managers who first set up the kickback scheme, which funnelled almost $300 million to Iraq disguised as trucking fees.
Mr Agius has also made adverse findings against former and current officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The department's lawyers have been given access to the submission but have apparently not yet informed the individuals concerned.
The submission by counsel assisting makes findings of fact based on nine months of evidence gathered by the inquiry. It also identifies possible breaches of state and Commonwealth laws.
Almost from the start, the Cole inquiry signalled its belief that AWB and its managers may have breached the Commonwealth Criminal Code involving fraudulent conduct, the making of false or misleading statements and obtaining property or financial advantages by deception.
While the "trucking fees" involved some hundreds of millions of dollars, it is understood the toughest criticism from Mr Agius involves the $8 million Tigris transaction. Evidence before the Cole inquiry revealed that AWB executives and the head of Tigris Petroleum, Mr Norman Davidson Kelly, siphoned $US8 million from the UN Food Fund.
Mr Cole will consider the submissions of both counsel assisting and the lawyers for AWB and its past and present executives before writing his final report.
UNQ
QU
Report ties Iraq terrorism to payoffs
David Marr
AWB's kickbacks to Saddam Hussein may have financed terrorism, according to the final, confidential submission of counsel assisting the Cole inquiry into the oil for food scandal.
This is one of many damning conclusions contained in the 1300-page submission by John Agius, SC, being examined by lawyers representing AWB and more than a dozen of its past and present managers and directors.
Mr Agius is understood to conclude that AWB misled the Federal Government and the United Nations, and that key AWB figures may have committed criminal and corporate offences in paying kickbacks to Saddam's regime in breach of UN sanctions.
The submission singles out for criticism the former chairman, Trevor Flugge, and the former managing director, Andrew Lindberg. But it also makes adverse findings against the AWB managers who first set up the kickback scheme, which funnelled almost $300 million to Iraq disguised as trucking fees.
Mr Agius has also made adverse findings against former and current officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The department's lawyers have been given access to the submission but have apparently not yet informed the individuals concerned.
The submission by counsel assisting makes findings of fact based on nine months of evidence gathered by the inquiry. It also identifies possible breaches of state and Commonwealth laws.
Almost from the start, the Cole inquiry signalled its belief that AWB and its managers may have breached the Commonwealth Criminal Code involving fraudulent conduct, the making of false or misleading statements and obtaining property or financial advantages by deception.
While the "trucking fees" involved some hundreds of millions of dollars, it is understood the toughest criticism from Mr Agius involves the $8 million Tigris transaction. Evidence before the Cole inquiry revealed that AWB executives and the head of Tigris Petroleum, Mr Norman Davidson Kelly, siphoned $US8 million from the UN Food Fund.
Mr Cole will consider the submissions of both counsel assisting and the lawyers for AWB and its past and present executives before writing his final report.
UNQ
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