US Senate: George Galloway did profit from UN's Oil for Food programme
REPORT CONCERNING THE TESTIMONY OF GEORGE GALLOWAY BEFORE THE PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS PREPARED BY THE MAJORITY STAFF OF THE PERMANENT SUBCOMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATIONS FOR RELEASE ON OCTOBER 25, 2005 | EXECUTIVE SUMMARY | On May 17, 2005, British Member of Parliament George Galloway appeared before the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (the "Subcommittee") and testified under oath regarding evidence obtained by the Subcommittee that he solicited and received financial support from Iraq under the United Nations Oil-for-Food Program (the "Program"). Specifically, Galloway denied that he solicited and was granted lucrative allocations of Iraqi crude oil under the Program and denied that anyone did so on his behalf. He also denied that he or anyone else solicited oil allocations as a means of raising funds for the Mariam Appeal - Galloway's political campaign opposing the U.N. sanctions imposed upon Iraq.
Because Galloway's testimony and sweeping denials conflicted with the Subcommittee's evidence and May 12, 2005 Report, the Subcommittee continued its inquiry into the matter to test the veracity of Galloway's claims. Since the May hearing, the Subcommittee has obtained additional evidence establishing that the Hussein regime granted oil allocations to Galloway and the Mariam Appeal. This Report, prepared by the Majority staff of the Subcommittee, presents evidence establishing that:
1. Galloway personally solicited and was granted oil allocations from the Government of Iraq during the reign of Saddam Hussein. The Hussein regime granted Galloway and the Mariam Appeal eight allocations totaling 23 million barrels from 1999 through 2003;
2. Galloway's wife, Dr. Amineh Abu-Zayyad, received approximately $150,000 in connection with one of those oil allocations;
3. Galloway's political campaign, the Mariam Appeal, received at least $446,000 in connection with the oil allocations granted to Galloway and the Mariam Appeal under the Oil-for-Food Program;
4. The Hussein regime received improper "surcharge" payments amounting to $1,642,000.65 in connection with the oil allocations granted to Galloway and the Mariam Appeal; and
5. Galloway knowingly made false or misleading statements under oath before the Subcommittee at its hearing on May 17, 2005; Evidence supporting each of the preceding findings is presented in detail below. That evidence includes:
(1) Documents, including bank account information and wire transfers, establishing that Fawaz Zureikat, a Jordanian businessman and close friend of Galloway, received money in connection with an oil allocation under the Oil-for-Food Program and transferred a significant portion of that money to Galloway's wife and Galloway's political campaign, the Mariam Appeal;
(2) Testimony from Tariq Aziz in which Aziz describes in detail his discussions with Galloway concerning oil allocations, including Galloway's request for allocations and his subsequent request to increase the amount of oil allocated to him and his political organization, the information in this Majority Staff Report is based upon a joint investigation by the Subcommittee's Republican and Democratic staff.
(3) Documents created by the Iraqi Ministry of Oil, including records created during the Hussein regime that were authenticated by the Minister of Oil;
(4) Documents created by senior Hussein officials detailing Galloway's efforts to obtain financial support from the Hussein regime for his political campaign, including documents that were authenticated by Tariq Aziz and Ali Hasan al-Majid;
(5) Interviews with an oil trader stating that he discussed the oil allocation process with Galloway, and that "[Galloway] told me that, if he were to obtain an oil allocation, he would contact us directly or indirectly" and that "[Galloway] said he or his representative in Iraq would contact [me] in connection with the sale of an allocation;" and
(6) Written affirmation from a second oil trader who negotiated with Galloway's agent for the purchase of Galloway's oil allocation.
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