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
Mr. Zureikat claimed he made donations to many other anti-sanctions campaigns—including a
donation to one campaign of approximately £200,000. When asked to which other campaign he
contributed funds, Mr. Zureikat replied: “That is none of your business.” 157
Mr. Galloway has acknowledged that Mr. Zureikat donated money to the Mariam Appeal,
although he has offered varying estimates of the total amount of Mr. Zureikat’s donations. In
April 2003, however, Mr. Galloway stated categorically that the Mariam Appeal had “received no
money from Iraq.” More recently, when interviewed by Committee investigators, Mr. Galloway
stated that he never asked Mr. Zureikat about the source of the money the latter donated to the
Mariam Appeal. 158
5. Payments to Amineh Naji Daoud Abu Zayyad (Mr. Galloway’s Wife)
Burhan Al-Chalabi, an Iraqi businessman based in the United Kingdom, received an oil allocation
in Phase VII. This oil allocation was granted to Mr. Al-Chalabi and designated as a United
Kingdom allocation. Mr. Al-Chalabi nominated Fortum to purchase his allocations. Mr. Al-
Chalabi told an Iraqi official that his allocation was to support “Galloway’s campaign.” 159
In April 2000, a donation of £6,750 was made by Fortum (in the name of Neste) to the Mariam
Appeal. This was in response to a direct request from the Mariam Appeal for funding for medical
account into which the $698,640.14 from Taurus had been paid; on November 26, a further $25,000 was
transferred. Arab Bank record, Fawaz Zureikat account, SWIFT messages (Nov. 24 and Nov. 26, 2001)
(translated from Arabic).
157 Fawaz Zureikat interview (July 12, 2005).
158 George Galloway interview (May 16, 2005) (estimating that Mr. Zureikat provided £375,000 to the
Mariam Appeal and saying he never asked Mr. Zureikat about the source of the funds); George Galloway
letter to the United Kingdom Attorney-General (Apr. 24, 2003). In an interview for the British
Broadcasting Corporation (hereinafter “BBC”), referring to Mr. Zureikat’s donations, Mr. Galloway stated:
“I would have said it was of the order of about £200,000 over four years, a ballpark figure.” BBC
Newsnight, George Galloway interview (Apr. 23, 2003); George Galloway e-mail to the Committee (Oct.
17, 2005).
159 Committee oil beneficiary table, contract no. M/07/83; Iraq official interviews; SOMO oil allocation
tables for Phase VII (Dec. 17, 1999) (indicating an allocation of four million barrels to “Burhan al-
Chalabi”). In 1999, Neste Oil merged into Fortum. Neste Oil previously had attempted unsuccessfully to
obtain oil allocations. SOMO fax to Neste Oil (Dec. 21, 1996); SOMO record, fax to Neste (Aug. 23,
1997); Neste Oil record, Neste Oil letter to SOMO (Mar. 17, 1998); Neste Oil record, Neste Oil letter to
Zuhair Ibrahim, Iraqi Interests Section, London (Sept. 18, 1998); Neste Oil record, Neste Oil letter to the
Minister of Oil (Sept. 18, 1998); Neste Oil record, Neste Oil letter to Mudhafar A. Amin, Iraqi Interests
Section, London (Aug. 12, 1999); Neste Oil record, Neste Oil letter to Minister of Oil (Aug. 12, 1999). An
Iraqi official familiar with allocations granted by Mr. Aziz has stated he was unaware of allocations being
requested or granted for the benefit of Mr. Galloway’s campaign prior to Phase VIII. Iraq official
interview.
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