Benon Sevan In Trouble; Is Kofi Next?

Yesterday, Paul Volcker reported that Benon Sevan was heavily involved in the shennanigans relating to UNSCAM. Heavily involved is an understatement actually. He sought and received bribes. Now, Sevan disputes the findings, but there is sufficient evidence to cast doubt on Sevan's honesty.

In 1998, the report says, Sevan received an allocation of 1.8 million barrels of oil. That year, the company did not take possession of the oil but sold it to two other companies for a nearly $300,000 profit. In 1999, Sevan, on behalf of AMEP and Fakhry Abdel Nour -- who represented the company -- contracted for 2 million barrels, which they sold for nearly a $500,000 profit.

According to the report, "Over the next two years [2000 and 2001] AMEP continued to receive more oil allocations."

Iraq oil ministry records indicate the sales were under Sevan's name, without indicating the company's involvement.

Technorati: UNSCAM, Oil for Food, and Kofi Annan

In one instance in October 2001, AMEP paid an illegal surcharge of $160,000 to an Iraqi-controlled bank account in Jordan.

The report notes that according to U.N. financial disclosure forms, Sevan received $160,000 in four cash payments from 1999 to 2003. He listed them on his financial disclosure forms as cash from an aunt who lived in Cyprus and who was a retired government photographer.

Now, why would someone do something like that? That's quite a bit of money from a retired government photographer. I can't imagine a Cypriot government photographer having that kind of money on hand. Of course, there's the little discrepancy in that AMEP paid illegal surcharges in the same amount that Sevan supposedly received from the generous aunt. Methinks Sevan has dyslexia as he transposed AMEP as AUNT.

How else can he explain the similarities in monies received and monies involved in the surcharge?