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
According to Mr. Boidevaix, for that reason no allocation was given to Vitol in Phases XI and
XII. 128
A surcharge was paid on the Vitol and Mr. Boidevaix contract in Phase IX. Mr. Boidevaix
admitted that he heard details about the payment. Two undated handwritten documents were
recovered from Mr. Boidevaix that relate to the surcharge payment on the contract in Phase IX.
The following handwritten notes are on one piece of paper: “250217.25 Peakwilli Hong Kong.”
Another paper has the following handwritten notes: “250217.25 Peackwilli Hong Kong 31 May
Eliki.” The notes appear to reference the Eliki vessel that lifted oil under a Vitol and Mr.
Boidevaix contract on May 31, 2001. The reference to $250,217.25 appears to be the amount of
the first surcharge payment made to SOMO on the Phase IX contract. Additionally, the surcharge
was paid through an entity named Peakville Limited. Vitol is discussed in Section VI.E below. 129
Figure: Serge Boidevaix handwritten notes (undated).
128 Serge Boidevaix interview (Oct. 4, 2005); Robin D’Alessandro interview (Oct. 10, 2005).
129 Committee oil surcharge table, contract nos. M/09/97, M/10/78; Fransabank record, SOMO account,
credit advices (June 25 and Aug. 31, 2001); Boidevaix record, handwritten notes (undated) (showing notes
related to “Peakwilli Hong Kong”); Committee oil surcharge table, contract no. M/10/07; SOMO bill of
lading, bbl/3123 (May 31, 2001) (relating to M/10/07); Serge Boidevaix interview (Oct. 4, 2005);
Confidential document; Committee oil company table, contract no. M/09/97 (showing that surcharges in
the amount of $545,801 were paid); Fransabank record, SOMO account, credit advices (June 23, 2001)
(showing transfer of $250,217.00 from Peakville Limited’s account at HSBC Hong Kong), (Aug. 31, 2001)
(showing transfer of $108,000.00 from Peakville Limited’s account at HSBC Hong Kong), (Aug. 31, 2001)
(showing transfer of $187,583.70 from Peakville Limited’s account at HSBC Hong Kong) (each translated
from French and Arabic); Wire transfers through HSBC Hong Kong correspondent account at HSBC New
York (Aug. 27, 2002), (July 23, 2003), (Aug. 25, 2003); Credit Lyonnais (Suisse) S.A. record, Vitol S.A.
account opening documentation (Sept. 28, 2000) (showing Mr. Favre as having individual signing authority
over the account and Vitol S.A.’s address as “Rue des Bains 33, P.O. Box 162, 1211, Geneva”); Jordan
National Bank record, SOMO account, credit advice (Jan. 16, 2003) (translated from Arabic).
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