Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

U.N. inquiry bumps into Congress

UNITED NATIONS - The chief of the U.N. oil-for-food investigation on Friday urged Congress to withdraw subpoenas of an investigator who quit his panel in protest, and denied the man's allegations that the committee went too easy on Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

The chairman, former U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, said two congressional committees jeopardized his inquiry in their pursuit of the investigator, Robert Parton. Volcker asked the House International Relations Committee to return secret documents Parton has given it, saying that witnesses could be threatened if anything leaks out.

"We're not playing games here, we are dealing - and let me just emphasize this - in some cases with lives," Volcker said.

Republican Rep. Henry Hyde, chairman of the committee, rejected the demand late Friday and refused to give up the documents.

"I am aware of and appreciate the gravity of the concerns expressed today by Mr. Volcker," Hyde said in a statement, adding that the committee had "an obligation to continue its inquiry."

Volcker made the demand at a news conference that was meant to dampen rising controversy over recent claims made by Parton. The former FBI agent had quit Volcker's Independent Inquiry Committee because he believed that it intentionally played down evidence that incriminated Annan.

Volcker said there was not enough evidence to prove that Annan influenced the awarding of an oil-for-food contract to the Swiss company that employed his son, Kojo Annan. But he again said his committee finding was not the exoneration that Kofi Annan claimed it was.

Parton's resignation drew the attention of three congressional committees investigating widespread bribery in oil-for-food, the $64-billion program that was set up to help Iraqis cope with sanctions the United Nations imposed on Saddam Hussein's regime after his 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

On Thursday, Parton turned over boxes of documents from his investigative work to Hyde. A subcommittee led by Republican Rep. Christopher Shays has also subpoenaed him and said it expected to receive documents from Parton on Monday.

They have also accused Volcker of undue secrecy. Volcker has denied the accusations.

The back and forth got so heated earlier this week that U.N. officials said they feared Volcker's investigation would lose credibility.

Volcker said Friday his main concern was to keep the investigation credible so it could keep doing its work. His committee is expected to finish this summer with a report that will examine how much countries on the U.N. Security Council knew about the oil-for-food wrongdoing as it went on.

Volcker suggested that concern over the next report's findings might be behind the latest turmoil.

"I do think that as our investigation proceeds, there are people, and I'm not talking about committee chairmen, who would just as soon we go away," he said.

On the issue of Parton's disagreement, he acknowledged that there had been debate within his committee over how to interpret its findings on Annan.

"On the basis of the facts reported, others may - and have - drawn other inferences or judgments," he said.

To settle the discrepancy, Volcker proposed a deal: He offered to lift Parton's confidentiality agreement and allow him to make a statement "when he chooses" addressing his disagreements with the committee over Annan's role.

In exchange, the congressional committees would withdraw their subpoenas and return all committee files.

"This is critical to the committee's continued work with witnesses, governments and organizations who have placed their trust in our confidentiality," Volcker said.

Parton's lawyer did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.

While Hyde dismissed Volcker's offer, the other committees backed off somewhat.

Sen. Norm Coleman, a Minnesota Republican leading one investigation that is considering a subpoena of Parton, said he appreciated Volcker's efforts to "clear the air" over Parton's resignation.

Shays issued a statement also calling Volcker's move a positive step and suspending the demand that Parton testify.

"While the details of such a public statement are yet to be worked out, I believe a voluntary presentation by Mr. Parton could meet Congress' legitimate need for information while maintaining the integrity of the Volcker Committee's investigation," Shays said.

Still, Shays' spokeswoman Sarah Moore said the committee still wanted Parton's documents.

[Last modified May 7, 2005, 01:03:04]