Here’s the response from United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, when asked if he be resigning in light of the Volker report investigating United Nations corruption vis-a-vis Iraq/U.N. Oil for Food program—and I quote:
“Hell, no.”
Now here’s some tidbits from just one Associated Press article on the story, with my bolding, to help us understand that brazen “Hell no” remark:
Investigators of the U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq said Tuesday there was not enough evidence to show that Secretary-General Kofi Annan knew of a contract bid by his son’s Swiss employer. However, they criticized the U.N. chief for not properly investigating possible conflicts of interest in the matter.
Although Tuesday’s report found no wrongdoing by Kofi Annan, it clearly faulted the secretary-general’s management of the world body and his oversight of the oil-for-food program.
In a bid to curry favor and end sanctions, Saddam allegedly gave former government officials, activists, journalists and U.N. officials vouchers for Iraqi oil that could then be resold at a profit. U.S. congressional investigators say Saddam’s regime may have illegally made more than $21 billion by cheating the program and other sanctions-busting schemes.
Senior U.N. officials insist the secretary-general has no intention of stepping down, and U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard dismissed reports describing the secretary-general as weak and depressed.
After a British newspaper, The Sunday Telegraph, reported the link between Kojo Annan and Cotecna in January 1999, the report said, “Cotecna disguised its continuing relationship with Kojo Annan by routing the payments that were made to him” through three different companies, in response to instructions from the secretary-general’s son.
The secretary-general initiated an inquiry through his staff, which concluded within a day that Kojo Annan’s connection to Cotecna was not known to the officials handling contract bids.
Volcker’s investigation, however, concluded, that Kofi Annan’s inquiry “was inadequate” and that the issue should have been referred to the U.N. legal office or internal watchdog.
Do I understand? “Hell, no”.
But after getting away with that whole Rwanda thing, why would he resign over this small matter?
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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