report on programme manipulation - Independent Inquiry Committee

INDEPENDENT INQUIRY COMMITTEE INTO THE UNITED NATIONS OIL-FOR-FOOD PROGRAMME
REPORT ON PROGRAMME MANIPULATION
CHAPTER TWO
OIL TRANSACTIONS AND ILLICIT PAYMENTS
Administration, dated December 19, 2002, and accompanied by an Arabic translation, soliciting
oil for Impexoil and signed under the name of Mr. Voloshin. The letter, addressed to Taha
Yassin Ramadan, complained that the amount of oil allocated to Impexoil for Phase XIII was
increased by “only 350,000 bbls.” The letter further requested an additional oil allocation to “our
permanent business partner in Iraq ‘Impex-Oil LLC.’” Iraqi Ministry of Oil records show that
Impexoil’s second contract (M/13/33) was executed in three liftings, including a lifting of
350,000 barrels on January 10, 2003. 48
When interviewed, Mr. Voloshin denied requesting or receiving any oil allocations from Iraq, as
well as knowing anyone from Impexoil. Mr. Voloshin stated that the signatures in his name that
appear on the letter dated December 19, 2002, as well as the accompanying translation, were
“obviously . . . forged.” On October 21, 2005, the Russian Permanent Mission informed the
Committee that the letter was not authentic. Citing the document number identification appearing
on the letter, the Russian government stated that the “outgoing number A4-16912 [appearing on
the letter in question] . . . has not been given to any document of the [Presidential]
Administration.” The Committee has obtained samples of Mr. Voloshin’s signatures from Mr.
Voloshin, from the Russian government, and from a public source; the known signatures of Mr.
Voloshin are not substantially similar to the signature that appears on the letter of December 19,
2002. The Committee was unable to find information establishing any ties between Mr. Voloshin
and Impexoil. 49
The Committee contacted Impexoil seeking comments on documents obtained from the
Government of Iraq. The company responded through the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
stating that it received no assistance from any entity or individual in arranging for its contracts
48 Committee oil financier and beneficiary tables, contract nos. M/12/109, M/13/33 (contracting with
Impexoil); SOMO letters to Amer Rashid (Sept. 26, 2002) (stating that Impexoil’s contract M/12/109 was
allocated to Mr. Voloshin, “Head of Russian Presidential Council”), (Dec. 24, 2002) (stating that
Impexoil’s contract M/13/33 was allocated to the “Head of Presidential Council”); SOMO letter to
Impexoil (Jan. 2, 2003); Alexander Voloshin interview (Aug. 23, 2005); Presidential Executive Office,
“Biography, Alexander Stalievich Voloshin,” http://www.kremlin.ru/text/docs/2003/10/54746.shtml
(translated from Russian); Iraq Ministry of Oil record, letter to Taha Yassin Ramadan (Dec. 19, 2002);
Committee oil company table, contract nos. M/13/33 (contracting with Impexoil), M/13/87 (unexecuted
contract with Impexoil), M/13/91 (same); SOMO bills of lading (relating to contract M/13/33), bbl/3453
(Mar. 8, 2003), bbl/3450 (Mar. 2, 2003), bbl/3419 (Jan. 10, 2003).
49 Alexander Voloshin interview (Aug. 23, 2005); Alexander Voloshin e-mail to the Committee (Sept. 20,
2005); UES, “Annual <strong>report</strong> of RAO ‘UES of Russia’ for year 2002,” p. 5, http://old.raoees.ru/en/business/<strong>report</strong>2002/2002.pdf
(containing Mr. Voloshin’s signature); Russia Ministry of Foreign
Affairs letter to the Committee (Oct. 21, 2005) (stating that “[i]n the year 2002 numeration of the
documents at the [Presidential] Administration stopped at a smaller number”); Committee meeting with
Russia Mission (Oct. 20, 2005) (providing the Committee with copies of officially certified documents with
samples of Mr. Voloshin’s signature); Alexander Voloshin e-mail to the Committee (Oct. 4, 2005)
(containing scanned images of documents); Confidential source <strong>report</strong>; Confidential source interview.
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