UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Benon Sevan, the former head of the UN Oil-for-Food program in Iraq, was accused of taking kickbacks, the UN Independent Inquiry Committee (IIC) said on Monday.

    In an interim report issued by the IIC, led by the former US Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker, Sevan was accused of receiving 147,184 dollars of kickbacks in a bribe for an oil deal.

    "On the basis of available evidence, the report concludes that Sevan, a 67-year-old Cypriot, corruptly benefited" from program, Volcker told reporters.

    The IIC also recommended the United Nations to lift the immunity of Sevan for prosecution.

    "Sevan is now the subject of a criminal investigation," the report said. "If criminal charges are to be brought against Sevan, the prosecuting authority will need to obtain a waiver of Sevan's immunity." Enditem