Millions Embezzled at Iraqi Ministry (Several Hundred Million$)

[sintax]

Millions embezzled at Iraqi ministry

Ed Vulliamy and Richard Norton-Taylor
Monday August 22, 2005
The Guardian


A report compiled by the Iraqi Board of Supreme Audit has concluded that at least half, and probably more, of $1.27bn (£700m) of Iraqi money spent on military procurement has disappeared into a miasma of kickbacks and vanished middlemen - or else has been spent on useless equipment.

<snip>

According to the report, led by former human rights minister Abdel Baset al-Turki, the vanished money came solely from Iraqi funds, not from foreign donations to Iraq's military or the US-funded training budget.

<snip>

The report found that contracts were awarded to favoured weapons suppliers, via middlemen, without bidding or approval from the prime minister's office. Contracts included a clause stating that the full value of deals was to be paid up front, in cash.

<snip>

Nine ministry officials, all of them appointed by the US, have been fired by the ministry, and face possible criminal charges. Among them is the ministry's procurement chief, Ziad Cattan. Mr Cattan, who returned to Iraq two days before the war began, contacted Knight Ridder from hiding, to deny the charges and the claims that he took a 10% finder's fee on every contract. He said the Americans controlled the purse strings of Iraqi defence expenditure.


http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,1553777,00.html

[Roland99]

1. Corruption amidst a power vacuum? Noooo!!

I don't believe it!

[bribri16]

2. These must be the Iraqis who lived in the US for the past 30 years.

They learned out system well with Haliburton as teachers.

[goforit]

3. Will the Bush thugs implode by their own corruption in the end???

Who knows?

Time will tell.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sintax]

5. Please look at Editorials for another of my cheery posts

written by one of the worlds best journalists

have a nice day
:hi:

[Spazito]

6. LOL, yes, the truth these days does cause 'some' to <sigh>

*

[NYC]

7. All of them appointed by the U.S.

...Nine ministry officials, all of them appointed by the US, have been fired by the ministry, and face possible criminal charges...

[me b zola]

8. Patsies or fall guys?

~snip~

Mr Cattan, who returned to Iraq two days before the war began, contacted Knight Ridder from hiding, to deny the charges and the claims that he took a 10% finder's fee on every contract. He said the Americans controlled the purse strings of Iraqi defence expenditure.

During the period covered by the report, 20 US officials worked alongside the Iraqi defence ministry, and all the sacked officials had been appointed by the Coalition Provisional Authority - the administration headed by American Paul Bremer.

*************************************

I vote for patsy. I guess we won't until or unless they get caught.

[maddezmom]

9. and I'm sure it's still going on today

[UpInArms]

10. I wonder if some of that embezzled money ended back up

in the BFEE's pockets?

[Burried News]

11. Looks like they are on their way to establishing some viable

political parties - everybody needs a war chest to get the massage out.
American style democracy with freedom on the march.

[Burried News]

12. Just think of it as GOP seed money for 2008.