Howard denies knowledge of bribery warnings
FT: John Howard, Australian prime minister, on Thursday denied reading any official warnings that the AWB, Australia's monopoly wheat exporter, could be paying millions of dollars in bribes to Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime to secure lucrative sales.
Mr Howard told an official inquiry that he had not suspected foul practice because he "had never been presented with any hard evidence". He is the first Australian prime minister since 1983 to give evidence at a judicial inquiry.
The inquiry was established following a United Nations report last year alleged that AWB paid around A$300m in kickbacks to the Saddam regime to bypass the UN's oil-for-food programme.
During testimony which lasted an hour, Mr Howard told the inquiry: "I believe that I did not receive or read any of the relevant cables at any time during the relevant period." Read more
Mr Howard told an official inquiry that he had not suspected foul practice because he "had never been presented with any hard evidence". He is the first Australian prime minister since 1983 to give evidence at a judicial inquiry.
The inquiry was established following a United Nations report last year alleged that AWB paid around A$300m in kickbacks to the Saddam regime to bypass the UN's oil-for-food programme.
During testimony which lasted an hour, Mr Howard told the inquiry: "I believe that I did not receive or read any of the relevant cables at any time during the relevant period." Read more
posted by exoplanet at 8:03 AM
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