CANBERRA, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard said Wednesday he is happy to appear before an inquiry into Australia's wheat exporter AWB's role in the Iraqi oil-for-food scandal after being called to appear on Thursday.

    Howard on Tuesday handed a written statement to the inquiry, headed by Commissioner Terence Cole, Australia's former Supreme Court judge.

    The inquiry is investigating claims that the AWB paid 220 million U.S. dollars of kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's government in order to obtain contracts through the oil-for-food program, in breach of UN sanctions.

    "The Cole Commission of Inquiry has requested that I appear at its hearings," Howard said in a statement Wednesday.

    "As I have said previously, I am happy to do so," he said.

    Howard is only the second prime minister to be called to give evidence to a judicial inquiry.

    In 1983, Bob Hawke became the first when he appeared before a royal commission.

    Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister Mark Vaile and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer appeared before the inquiry Monday and Tuesday. Enditem