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Volcker agreed to change language of report
New York, November 6 Volcker, who investigated allegations of corruption in the UN’s $ 64 billion Iraqi Oil for Food programme, said he had no idea how much the 18-month probe would expose the vulnerabilities of the world body and how close he would come to toppling the Secretary-General as its leader. The Los Angeles Times said the U.N. chief and his lawyer asked Volcker to change the language about business dealings by Kojo Annan that they thought could force his father’s resignation, hours before the publication of the draft forward of the report in September. Volcker agreed. “It was merely a part of the due process,” he was quoted as saying. Before releasing the September report on Annan, Volcker met with the U.N. chief and his lawyer to discuss the harsh conclusion. “The wording we had, was that Annan’s performance did not meet the standards of the United Nations,” Volcker said, adding “And there was more, along the same vein.”
— PTI |
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Natwar episode shocks West
London, November 6 Referring to the Indian External Affairs Minister's alleged involvement as detailed in Paul Volcker's report, the Financial Times said the issue has evoked comparisons with the Mitrokhin archive that detailed the ways in which Indian politicians allegedly allowed themselves to be bought by the KGB and CIA during the Cold War. "The Volcker report into the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal has been a source of deep disillusionment in India. Yet again, there is evidence showing that key members of India's ruling class have been in the pay of foreign powers at delicate junctures in the country's diplomatic history," the business newspaper reported. It quoted Vinod Mehta, Outlook Editor, as saying: "The Congress party has a lot of explaining to do. Natwar's position as Foreign Minister is becoming less tenable by the day. If there is an internal inquiry he'll have to step down or move to a lighter portfolio." The paper recalled the India-related highlights of the Mitrokhin archive and observed: "The Volcker report's allegations suggest little may have changed. "The underlying propensity of Indian officials to demand backhanders is as evident today as during the Cold War". The report noted that Transparency International had ranked India 90th of 146 countries in 2004, with a score of 2.8 out of 10 (indicating rampant corruption). — IANS
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