Dec. 01, 2004 - 20:03 MST

THE WONDERNG JEW

Mouse In The House

Article in yesterday's paper that I tried to get on last night. By Edith M. Lederer of the Associated Press - In full:

Annan finds son's deal dismaying

UNITED NATIONS -- "Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Monday he was "very disappointed and surprised" that his son had continued to receive payments until this February from a firm that had a contract with Iraq's oil-for-food program, the subject of numerous corruption investigations."

"Annan told reporters that he had been working on the understanding that payments to his son, Kojo Annan, from the Swiss-based firm Cotecna Inspection S.A. stopped in 1998."

"But on Friday, U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said Kojo Annan's lawyer had informed the independent panel appointed by the secretary-general to investigate allegations of corruption in the oil-for-food program that the younger Annan continued to receive monthly payments through February 2004."

"The disclosure was the latest embarrassment for Annen and the United Nations over the humanitarian program instituted in December 1996 to help cope with sanctions imposed after Saddam Hussein's 1990 invasion of Kuwait."

"Annan on Monday stressed that his son was an independent businessman, "and I don't get involved with his activities and he doesn't get involved in mine."

"The firm, which Kojo Annan joined in 1995 as a trainee, was hired by the United Nations on December 31, 1998, to authenticate that food, medicine and other goods entering Iraq corresponded to a list of gooods approved for import."

"In a statement in April, Cotecna said Kojo Annan employment, from April 1995 to December 1997, and then as an consultant until early 1999, had nothing to do with the oil-for-food program.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My opinions:Smudge on the page, Cotecna said Kojo had nothing to do with the oil-for-food program. Riiiight ! Just doesn't jibe with me.

Wonder why Kojo Annan was hired by Cotecna in April of 1995, except for the reason than his Dad is Secretary-General of the U.N.? Was it to speed Cotecna's landing the job of doing their thing starting in December 1996 ?

Another question in my mind is if Kojo Annan was a trainee from 1996 to the end of 1997, how could he have possibly gained enough expertise and knowledge to become a blinkin' consultant at a consultant's salary until early 1999 ?

And whyfor did he receive payments through February 2004 ? Is anybody going to delve into that ?

Somewhere they must have forgotten to blow smoke out of the gunbarrel, cause it seems that it is still there. Complicity, duplicity and pure obfuscation it looks like to me. They are playing the "who Me ?" act it looks to me.

My way of thinking, The cheese was on the table and there was a Mouse In The House . . . . . . . . .

Blog