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Trial opens in Paris in Iraq "oil-for-food" corruption case

By John Keating PARIS, Jan 21 (KUNA) -- The trial of around 20 defendants, including a former Minister, former diplomats, journalists, businessmen and others - as well as oil company Total and its CEO - opens here Monday in the case of alleged corruption during the UN-administered "oil-for-food" programme in Iraq from 1996-2003.
UN investigations have pointed to a system of "surtaxes" allegedly paid by Total for Iraqi oil and which were diverted for corrupt use by the regime of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
There are also allegations of corrupt practices by a number of French officials, diplomats, associations and businessmen, as well as journalists and other individuals, who are accused of accepting "oil coupons" from the then Iraqi government in exchange for use of their influence in favour of Iraq in its dealing with the international community. Of particular interest for Iraq at that time, was lobbying for a lifting of the embargo imposed on that country after its attack and occupation of Kuwait from August 1990 until February 1991.
Judicial sources said that prominent among French defendants is former Interior Minister and right-wing politician, Charles Pasqua. He denies the charges as do most of those in the box Monday.
Also called before the court is former French ambassador to the UN Jean-Bernard Merimee, who is accused of self-enrichment through Iraq's "coupon" distribution system, which recipients then redeemed for cash with Total. Mermimee had a key role in UN Security Council talks on Iraq, the embargo and the need for Baghdad to meet its obligations to Kuwait after the invasion.
Many millions of dollars are believed to have been paid to Saddam's regime by Total for the right to draw extra oil under the UN programme, which was designed to provide food and medicine for poor Iraqi people.
The programme was much abused by the Iraqi regime, which both siphoned off cash and also withheld supplies to those in need.
Total CEO, Christophe de Margerie, is also in the defendants' box and although he was for many years responsible for Middle East operations at Total, he denies the charges.
The Iraq corruption scandal has been investigated by several magistrates since the US intervention in Iraq in 2003, when the UN revealed activities that were deemed corrupt, including the payment of commissions to Iraqi officials and payments by Iraq to influential individuals in France.
Even a former Secretary-General of the French Foreign Ministry, the Quai d'Orsay, was investigated and charged in 2005 for furthering his personal interests on the back of the "oil-for-food" programme.
The Secretary-General, Serge Boidevaix, who was the highest ranking diplomat in France and who later became president of the Franco-Arab Chamber of Commerce, was found to have received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of oil coupons from Iraq, although he alleged this was perfectly legal. Ambassador Merimee was also found to have received large amounts of cash through coupons.
Earlier attempts to bring the defendants to trial failed on procedural questions and this could happen again on Monday, a judicial source told KUNA. (end) jk.sd KUNA 211721 Jan 13NNNN